October 18, 1987
CELTICS' TRADE WEDMAN
Now you see 'em, now you don't. Sam Vincent and Scott Wedman took the floor in Houston for the first Celtics exhibition game of the season Friday night, but by halftime, they were removing their uniforms and returning via cab to the hotel.
They had just been informed that their new mailing address was Seattle, USA.
In exchange for these two players, the Celtics obtained either a 1988 or 1989 second-round draft pick (one belonging to New York), plus an undisclosed amount of cash. That doesn't sound like a lot for two men, unless you consider that the old Branch Rickey dictum of "addition by subtraction" was in play here. Specifically, the Celtics unloaded two salaries attached to a pair of players who didn't fit into their plans. What they got in return was almost incidental.
Vincent, the 1985 No. 1 draft pick, never really got off the launching pad in Boston, and he was victimized by a numbers game and his size. "Sam really didn't get a chance to develop here," admitted K.C. Jones. "We have Dennis (Johnson) and Danny (Ainge), and then there was Jerry (Sichting) and Sam. Dennis and Danny can play together, but Jerry and Sam couldn't because they're just too short and give up too much at the defensive end. Now we've got Reggie (Lewis)."
If there were any lingering doubts about anointing the Northeastern kid, they were eliminated in the first half of Friday's game when Lewis bounded off the bench in his first professional action and played smoothly, scoring 9 points in 10 minutes.
"I was surprised," said Vincent. "I hadn't even thought about not being here, or the fact that we had two small guards. I've been having a good camp, and I don't think this trade represents dissatisfaction with my play as much as me being in a numbers game.
"I don't feel I really ever got an opportunity here," he continued, "but I'm not bitter. I'm just a little disappointed, because I really enjoyed playing with these guys. I'm going to miss Larry (Bird) and his antics, Kevin (McHale), DJ and the rest of the team. I loved the feeling of being a part of all that. But now maybe I'm going to a team that needs a point guard, and I hope I can get myself established."
As for Wedman, the 13-year veteran never really got over the devastating effects of the heel injury that restricted him to six games last season. He had lost his backup small forward spot to Darren Daye and represented excess baggage on the current ballclub. He departs Boston with two championship rings, so he would hardly call Boston an unpleasant experience.
"I don't know much about the situation I'm heading into," he said. "I was surprised. But it's kind of funny. I remember going to an exhibition game three years ago and Gerry Henderson didn't play, and I wondered what was going on. Then I learned he was traded to Seattle. Now it's happened to me (indeed, this was the third anniversary of that Henderson maneuver)."
Wedman, 35, hadn't played badly in camp this past week, either, but his time in Boston had passed. "The one thing I want to say," Wedman concluded, "was that I enjoyed playing for K.C. and with these guys. I mean, I really enjoyed it."
The Celtics have now suddenly freed up significant salary money under the cap, dumping $375,000 in Vincent and at least $200,000 in Wedman.
About Me
WEDMAN STANDS IN THE SHADOWS HEEL INJURY COULD HALT HIS CAREER
May 22, 1987
WEDMAN STANDS IN THE SHADOWS HEEL INJURY COULD HALT HIS CAREER
The upshot of all this is how the situation is wreaking havoc on Scott Wedman's wardrobe.
How would you like to have to come up with 76 different suit and tie combinations to blend in with kelly green?
"That's been the biggest problem," said the 12th-year pro. "It takes me longer to dress and figure out what colors match than it did when I had to drive to the Garden, put on my uniform and go through my warmups."
There are no warmups for these playoffs, only fashion shows with Rick Carlisle. And what kind of chance does Wedman have when he must limit his foot apparel, whether he's wearing a tank top or tuxedo, to Reebok sneakers?
And while we're at it, one of those sneakers, specifically the left one, has the back carved out with a kitchen knife, leaving Wedman's heel with its own natural vent -- an air-conditioned Achilles'.
That trendy little oddity, however, is really a form of therapy to help get the mysterious left heel back in working order, back in basketball order, so the career of Scott Wedman can continue.
If the career is not already over.
"It could be (over), there's no doubt about it," Wedman said. "Hopefully, that won't be the case.
"I'm not real active on the heel. I'm not running on it or anything and, until I'm running, that's the only indication of how it will do.
"I'm going to try and rest it for another month or so, then see. I wanted to get back for the playoffs, I was hoping that could happen, but it just didn't work out."
The heel was a bother from the first day of workouts this season. Wedman didn't even get past Halloween before he was on the disabled list, there to stay until Nov. 25. He had struggled with a similar injury in college and come back strong. It didn't work out the same way this time.
He played sparingly in six games, grappled with the pain, then had a CAT scan performed that revealed a bone cyst. He was back on the DL with plenty of time to spare for Christmas. There he has stayed, and his hopes for the postseason rang hollow after a couple jogs around a high school track.
"I was taking it easy, running on the straightaways, walking on the curves," he said. "That's what seemed to work for me. But after 20 minutes, it (the heel) let me know. If I couldn't handle that, there was no way I could handle running on a court."
But how could he handle standing by and watching off the court? Scott Wedman didn't miss a practice, traveled to every game, knowing full well he could not offer his team anything.
"You definitely don't feel like you're contributing that much," he admitted. "If you're not playing, you're missing a big part of the team thing.
"You go a little nuts in a way. But hanging around and coming to practice kept me into what was happening with the team."
He cherished the few activities that didn't seem to irritate his condition: riding the stationary bike, lifting weights. Weeks and then months went by, and still that was all he could do.
The short-term recovery period was threatening to become a lifetime.
"You tell people this thing will take six weeks or so, and then it's two months," Wedman said. "Then it's longer than that. Whenever an injury is prolonged like that, people start wondering, 'Is this guy loafing? Is he not doing enough? He's not going through the pain as much as he should.'
"Then you start having the same questions. You wonder. But I knew when I got on that track I wasn't ready to come back."
His role as a shooter has been missed in these playoffs, while his role as a cheerleader and support system has barely been noticed. That alone tells you how well he's hidden his disappointment.
"It's really strange," Wedman said, "how a 3-inch square part of your body that is not functioning shuts everything else down."
Everything, of course, except his vocal cords. If the veteran forward isn't allowed to abuse any other part of his body this time of year, he might as well scream himself silly.
"This is an exciting time of year," Wedman said. "My favorite time of year. I've played a lot of years at this time. I know what I'm missing."
WEDMAN STANDS IN THE SHADOWS HEEL INJURY COULD HALT HIS CAREER
The upshot of all this is how the situation is wreaking havoc on Scott Wedman's wardrobe.
How would you like to have to come up with 76 different suit and tie combinations to blend in with kelly green?
"That's been the biggest problem," said the 12th-year pro. "It takes me longer to dress and figure out what colors match than it did when I had to drive to the Garden, put on my uniform and go through my warmups."
There are no warmups for these playoffs, only fashion shows with Rick Carlisle. And what kind of chance does Wedman have when he must limit his foot apparel, whether he's wearing a tank top or tuxedo, to Reebok sneakers?
And while we're at it, one of those sneakers, specifically the left one, has the back carved out with a kitchen knife, leaving Wedman's heel with its own natural vent -- an air-conditioned Achilles'.
That trendy little oddity, however, is really a form of therapy to help get the mysterious left heel back in working order, back in basketball order, so the career of Scott Wedman can continue.
If the career is not already over.
"It could be (over), there's no doubt about it," Wedman said. "Hopefully, that won't be the case.
"I'm not real active on the heel. I'm not running on it or anything and, until I'm running, that's the only indication of how it will do.
"I'm going to try and rest it for another month or so, then see. I wanted to get back for the playoffs, I was hoping that could happen, but it just didn't work out."
The heel was a bother from the first day of workouts this season. Wedman didn't even get past Halloween before he was on the disabled list, there to stay until Nov. 25. He had struggled with a similar injury in college and come back strong. It didn't work out the same way this time.
He played sparingly in six games, grappled with the pain, then had a CAT scan performed that revealed a bone cyst. He was back on the DL with plenty of time to spare for Christmas. There he has stayed, and his hopes for the postseason rang hollow after a couple jogs around a high school track.
"I was taking it easy, running on the straightaways, walking on the curves," he said. "That's what seemed to work for me. But after 20 minutes, it (the heel) let me know. If I couldn't handle that, there was no way I could handle running on a court."
But how could he handle standing by and watching off the court? Scott Wedman didn't miss a practice, traveled to every game, knowing full well he could not offer his team anything.
"You definitely don't feel like you're contributing that much," he admitted. "If you're not playing, you're missing a big part of the team thing.
"You go a little nuts in a way. But hanging around and coming to practice kept me into what was happening with the team."
He cherished the few activities that didn't seem to irritate his condition: riding the stationary bike, lifting weights. Weeks and then months went by, and still that was all he could do.
The short-term recovery period was threatening to become a lifetime.
"You tell people this thing will take six weeks or so, and then it's two months," Wedman said. "Then it's longer than that. Whenever an injury is prolonged like that, people start wondering, 'Is this guy loafing? Is he not doing enough? He's not going through the pain as much as he should.'
"Then you start having the same questions. You wonder. But I knew when I got on that track I wasn't ready to come back."
His role as a shooter has been missed in these playoffs, while his role as a cheerleader and support system has barely been noticed. That alone tells you how well he's hidden his disappointment.
"It's really strange," Wedman said, "how a 3-inch square part of your body that is not functioning shuts everything else down."
Everything, of course, except his vocal cords. If the veteran forward isn't allowed to abuse any other part of his body this time of year, he might as well scream himself silly.
"This is an exciting time of year," Wedman said. "My favorite time of year. I've played a lot of years at this time. I know what I'm missing."
WEDMAN, WALTON MAY BE FINISHED INJURIES ARE 'CAREER-THREATENING'; BIRD STILL OUT
January 9, 1987
WEDMAN, WALTON MAY BE FINISHED INJURIES ARE 'CAREER-THREATENING'; BIRD STILL OUT
They are the wounded. Collectively, they represent all that has been ailing the Celtics. They are Larry Bird (strained back), Bill Walton (ankle) and Scott Wedman (heel).
While Walton and Wedman were present at the Celtics' practice yesterday at Hellenic College, Bird again was a no-show. The star continued his carefully monitored recovery from a strained back he suffered against the Chicago Bulls last Friday night.
Still, Bird is expected back soon. But Walton and Wedman are entirely different stories. Both veterans have missed the majority of the season because of injuries not related to game situations and, as a result, face possible career-threatening situations, according to team physician Thomas Silva.
"I would say that this has developed into a career-threatening situation," Silva said. "I think that this club has to consider whether or not their veteran players are out of it for this season."
Silva said Walton could be back as soon as March but added, "I really don't see him doing much until then.
"You have to remember that he hasn't practiced one minute since we began back in October. There has been no swelling of the ankle and he has been walking with the aid of crutches. It is not full weight-bearing, but that is the next step."
Walton expressed guarded optimism about returning.
"It's still too early to tell," Walton said when asked whether the ankle was beginning to feel better. "I'm still experiencing a little stiffness after having the cast removed, and there is still some pain from the incision, but I just started weight-bearing on it Tuesday night . . . I feel great. I feel confident and I'm looking forward to returning to action."
The prognosis concerning Wedman's return does not appear as promising as Walton's.
"The outlook of Scott returning as an active player does not look very good right now," Silva said. "He had surgery on his (left heel) back in the middle of June, and that has not improved. The tendon (near the Achilles') has been persistently sore."
Would this present more of a career-threatening situation than Walton's?
"I would say that is a very real possibility," Silva said. "This ballclub and the doctors he has seen have been behind him all the way, but now that one-third of the season is over, he's got to face that reality."
And it's a reality that Wedman is well aware of.
"Well, I can't disagree with that," Wedman said when apprised of Silva's comments. "I have to be realistic; it doesn't look good. And it seems that I don't have a lot of options left as far as healing goes, because I've tried just about everything."
Silva described Bird's injury as one in which Bird "experienced pain spread across his lower back.
"The pain does not extend down to his buttocks or his legs, and that's very important, because it indicates no herniation or lower disc problems."
Silva said Bird's back injury may have stemmed from a combination of two things: (1) he twisted his back during the game; (2) he continued to play with the injury.
"I think those were the two things that may have caused this problem," Silva said. "He's a fellow who had just come off a long (four-game) road trip from the West Coast and had a tired body. My recommendation to him is to rest and not think about playing the next few games, but he is improving at this time."
Bird will miss tonight's home game against Sacramento (7:30, SportsChannel). In addition, Bird will not be with the Celtics for their road game against Detroit tomorrow night. Bird is expected to be ready for Tuesday night's game at New Jersey.
"The plan this weekend is for him to start his running so that he'll be ready to practice on Monday and may be ready to play on Tuesday," Silva said.
Today will mark the ninth day of Conner Henry's 10-day contract. After his ballyhooed fourth-quarter effort (11 points, including a trio of three- pointers) against the Bucks Wednesday night, Henry may have bought himself at least another 10 days with the club. "If I said anything negative about him now, I would be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail, especially after what he did (Wednesday) night," said Celtics general manager Jan Volk. "But I would say another 10-day contract is a definite possibility." . . . K.C. Jones on tonight's game with the 9-22 Kings: "We can't have any letdowns. We just have to go out there with the same intensity as we had (Wednesday) night and try to get something going early."
WEDMAN, WALTON MAY BE FINISHED INJURIES ARE 'CAREER-THREATENING'; BIRD STILL OUT
They are the wounded. Collectively, they represent all that has been ailing the Celtics. They are Larry Bird (strained back), Bill Walton (ankle) and Scott Wedman (heel).
While Walton and Wedman were present at the Celtics' practice yesterday at Hellenic College, Bird again was a no-show. The star continued his carefully monitored recovery from a strained back he suffered against the Chicago Bulls last Friday night.
Still, Bird is expected back soon. But Walton and Wedman are entirely different stories. Both veterans have missed the majority of the season because of injuries not related to game situations and, as a result, face possible career-threatening situations, according to team physician Thomas Silva.
"I would say that this has developed into a career-threatening situation," Silva said. "I think that this club has to consider whether or not their veteran players are out of it for this season."
Silva said Walton could be back as soon as March but added, "I really don't see him doing much until then.
"You have to remember that he hasn't practiced one minute since we began back in October. There has been no swelling of the ankle and he has been walking with the aid of crutches. It is not full weight-bearing, but that is the next step."
Walton expressed guarded optimism about returning.
"It's still too early to tell," Walton said when asked whether the ankle was beginning to feel better. "I'm still experiencing a little stiffness after having the cast removed, and there is still some pain from the incision, but I just started weight-bearing on it Tuesday night . . . I feel great. I feel confident and I'm looking forward to returning to action."
The prognosis concerning Wedman's return does not appear as promising as Walton's.
"The outlook of Scott returning as an active player does not look very good right now," Silva said. "He had surgery on his (left heel) back in the middle of June, and that has not improved. The tendon (near the Achilles') has been persistently sore."
Would this present more of a career-threatening situation than Walton's?
"I would say that is a very real possibility," Silva said. "This ballclub and the doctors he has seen have been behind him all the way, but now that one-third of the season is over, he's got to face that reality."
And it's a reality that Wedman is well aware of.
"Well, I can't disagree with that," Wedman said when apprised of Silva's comments. "I have to be realistic; it doesn't look good. And it seems that I don't have a lot of options left as far as healing goes, because I've tried just about everything."
Silva described Bird's injury as one in which Bird "experienced pain spread across his lower back.
"The pain does not extend down to his buttocks or his legs, and that's very important, because it indicates no herniation or lower disc problems."
Silva said Bird's back injury may have stemmed from a combination of two things: (1) he twisted his back during the game; (2) he continued to play with the injury.
"I think those were the two things that may have caused this problem," Silva said. "He's a fellow who had just come off a long (four-game) road trip from the West Coast and had a tired body. My recommendation to him is to rest and not think about playing the next few games, but he is improving at this time."
Bird will miss tonight's home game against Sacramento (7:30, SportsChannel). In addition, Bird will not be with the Celtics for their road game against Detroit tomorrow night. Bird is expected to be ready for Tuesday night's game at New Jersey.
"The plan this weekend is for him to start his running so that he'll be ready to practice on Monday and may be ready to play on Tuesday," Silva said.
Today will mark the ninth day of Conner Henry's 10-day contract. After his ballyhooed fourth-quarter effort (11 points, including a trio of three- pointers) against the Bucks Wednesday night, Henry may have bought himself at least another 10 days with the club. "If I said anything negative about him now, I would be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail, especially after what he did (Wednesday) night," said Celtics general manager Jan Volk. "But I would say another 10-day contract is a definite possibility." . . . K.C. Jones on tonight's game with the 9-22 Kings: "We can't have any letdowns. We just have to go out there with the same intensity as we had (Wednesday) night and try to get something going early."
CELTICS SIGN DAYE; WEDMAN OUT
December 12, 1986
CELTICS SIGN DAYE; WEDMAN OUT
The Celtics have taken a step toward rectifying their abysmal bench production by placing injury-plagued Scott Wedman on the injured list and signing three-year veteran Darren Daye to replace him on the roster.
Wedman's ailing left heel did not hold up well after he started Dec. 3 and played 25 minutes against Denver. He was unable to practice the next day, and he was pulled from the game after seven ineffective minutes (all zeroes across the board, save for a personal foul) last Friday against the 76ers. Since then -- zilch.
The 6-foot-7-inch, 26-year-old Daye was waived by the Chicago Bulls when Eugene Banks came off the injured list. The Celtics had interest in him when the Bullets released him during training camp, but Chicago claimed him on waivers. Having done that, the Bulls embarrassed the former UCLA star by playing him in one game. His entire Bulls career consisted of a seven-minute appearance against the Pistons Nov. 7.
"They didn't want to play me," shrugged Daye after a morning workout at Hellenic College yesterday. "Sometimes teams say certain things to a guy, telling you that you'll play, and then they don't play you."
"He can play the big guard, he can push it and he can play the small forward," said K.C. Jones. "He's been sitting around for a couple of weeks, and he's rusty."
Daye was a 1983 third-round pick of the Bullets. His career average is 7.8 points per game, which is very close to half of what the Celtics are getting per game from their bench this season.
CELTICS SIGN DAYE; WEDMAN OUT
The Celtics have taken a step toward rectifying their abysmal bench production by placing injury-plagued Scott Wedman on the injured list and signing three-year veteran Darren Daye to replace him on the roster.
Wedman's ailing left heel did not hold up well after he started Dec. 3 and played 25 minutes against Denver. He was unable to practice the next day, and he was pulled from the game after seven ineffective minutes (all zeroes across the board, save for a personal foul) last Friday against the 76ers. Since then -- zilch.
The 6-foot-7-inch, 26-year-old Daye was waived by the Chicago Bulls when Eugene Banks came off the injured list. The Celtics had interest in him when the Bullets released him during training camp, but Chicago claimed him on waivers. Having done that, the Bulls embarrassed the former UCLA star by playing him in one game. His entire Bulls career consisted of a seven-minute appearance against the Pistons Nov. 7.
"They didn't want to play me," shrugged Daye after a morning workout at Hellenic College yesterday. "Sometimes teams say certain things to a guy, telling you that you'll play, and then they don't play you."
"He can play the big guard, he can push it and he can play the small forward," said K.C. Jones. "He's been sitting around for a couple of weeks, and he's rusty."
Daye was a 1983 third-round pick of the Bullets. His career average is 7.8 points per game, which is very close to half of what the Celtics are getting per game from their bench this season.
WEDMAN GETS A NEW DEAL
May 24, 1986
WEDMAN GETS A NEW DEAL
Scott Wedman is able to smile a bit better through the pain of two broken ribs. He has signed a multiyear contract with the Celtics.
The 33-year-old Wedman, who joined the team on Jan. 15, 1983, played in 79 games this season, averaging 8.0 points. His biggest contribution came from Jan. 24 through Feb. 28, when he started in place of the injured Kevin McHale and averaged 15 points over an 18-game stretch, during which the Celtics were 15-3.
He has had a difficult and ongoing adjustment to becoming an auxiliary player in Boston after being a far more prominent player in both Kansas City, where he broke in back in 1974, and Cleveland. "It's been a great learning experience," said Wedman.
"When you come to a team with so many great players, you've definitely got to figure out where you fit in. I wouldn't say it's been easy. It's been an adjustment, but being here is something I've really enjoyed."
The question arises: Would he rather be a star on a mediocre team or an auxiliary player in Boston?
Replied Wedman, who would have been a free agent at the conclusion of the season, "I think I've answered that by signing this contract."
WEDMAN GETS A NEW DEAL
Scott Wedman is able to smile a bit better through the pain of two broken ribs. He has signed a multiyear contract with the Celtics.
The 33-year-old Wedman, who joined the team on Jan. 15, 1983, played in 79 games this season, averaging 8.0 points. His biggest contribution came from Jan. 24 through Feb. 28, when he started in place of the injured Kevin McHale and averaged 15 points over an 18-game stretch, during which the Celtics were 15-3.
He has had a difficult and ongoing adjustment to becoming an auxiliary player in Boston after being a far more prominent player in both Kansas City, where he broke in back in 1974, and Cleveland. "It's been a great learning experience," said Wedman.
"When you come to a team with so many great players, you've definitely got to figure out where you fit in. I wouldn't say it's been easy. It's been an adjustment, but being here is something I've really enjoyed."
The question arises: Would he rather be a star on a mediocre team or an auxiliary player in Boston?
Replied Wedman, who would have been a free agent at the conclusion of the season, "I think I've answered that by signing this contract."
Celtics have Won 8 Straight (16 of 18 and 37 of 42)
March 25, 1986
Celtics have Won 8 Straight (16 of 18 and 37 of 42)
It happened in front of the Houston bench, so Bill Fitch & Co. had a ringside seat.
"The last time I saw anything fall that hard," said Fitch, "was when they tore down that hotel." He was speaking, of course, about the Madison, which was detonated one block from Fitch's old Boston residence.
But this was not an object. Rather, it was 88 inches of flesh, bones and blood named Ralph Sampson, who went up for a rebound and never had a chance to walk off the floor.
"It was the old undercut," said Fitch, "but it could very well have been one of our players who did it. It's one of those things that happens every now and then in basketball. Ralph had no way to protect himself."
"It's what every player fears," said Robert Parish, who stands a mere 84 inches. "Not centers, but guards and forwards, also."
Sampson was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. He was first subjected to a neurological examination and then given X-rays for a possible back fracture. X-rays of the head and neck were negative, and Sampson was released late last night, according to an MGH spokeswoman.
But, at least for a while, the situation was very scary. "On the floor," said Celtics team doctor Thomas Silva, "he was unable to move his extremities. By the time he left the Garden and went to the hospital, he had regained some degree of motion and some sensation had returned to his lower right leg. Those are good signs, but we have to appreciate the significance to the fullest extent that (initially) he could not move his legs."
The Celtics have now won eight straight, 16 of 18, 37 of 42 and 23 straight at home . . . The magic number to clinch the best record in the Eastern Conference is 2, meaning that a victory over Milwaukee tomorrow night at the Garden will take care of that business. The magic number for the best record overall is 6 (Celtic wins or Laker losses in any combination) . . . Larry Bird dropped in two more three-pointers in three attempts, giving him 23 for his last 32 from home run territory. He had over 30 points (36) for the seventh time in his last nine games . . . Dennis Johnson shot 2 for 17, but made his statement with 12 assists . . . In the first 2:40 of the second half, each team had one illegal defense and one delay-of-game warning apiece . . . Bill Walton (7 rebounds in 18 minutes) sent the crowd into rapture and drew a prolonged standing ovation in the second quarter when he answered a nice Akeem Olajuwon rejection of Jerry Sichting by smashing a defensive rebound in finest Karch Karaly style 30 feet upcourt to start a fast break finished off by a Scott Wedman jumper . . . Wedman's 19 points represented his biggest offensive output since the return of Kevin McHale.
Celtics have Won 8 Straight (16 of 18 and 37 of 42)
It happened in front of the Houston bench, so Bill Fitch & Co. had a ringside seat.
"The last time I saw anything fall that hard," said Fitch, "was when they tore down that hotel." He was speaking, of course, about the Madison, which was detonated one block from Fitch's old Boston residence.
But this was not an object. Rather, it was 88 inches of flesh, bones and blood named Ralph Sampson, who went up for a rebound and never had a chance to walk off the floor.
"It was the old undercut," said Fitch, "but it could very well have been one of our players who did it. It's one of those things that happens every now and then in basketball. Ralph had no way to protect himself."
"It's what every player fears," said Robert Parish, who stands a mere 84 inches. "Not centers, but guards and forwards, also."
Sampson was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. He was first subjected to a neurological examination and then given X-rays for a possible back fracture. X-rays of the head and neck were negative, and Sampson was released late last night, according to an MGH spokeswoman.
But, at least for a while, the situation was very scary. "On the floor," said Celtics team doctor Thomas Silva, "he was unable to move his extremities. By the time he left the Garden and went to the hospital, he had regained some degree of motion and some sensation had returned to his lower right leg. Those are good signs, but we have to appreciate the significance to the fullest extent that (initially) he could not move his legs."
The Celtics have now won eight straight, 16 of 18, 37 of 42 and 23 straight at home . . . The magic number to clinch the best record in the Eastern Conference is 2, meaning that a victory over Milwaukee tomorrow night at the Garden will take care of that business. The magic number for the best record overall is 6 (Celtic wins or Laker losses in any combination) . . . Larry Bird dropped in two more three-pointers in three attempts, giving him 23 for his last 32 from home run territory. He had over 30 points (36) for the seventh time in his last nine games . . . Dennis Johnson shot 2 for 17, but made his statement with 12 assists . . . In the first 2:40 of the second half, each team had one illegal defense and one delay-of-game warning apiece . . . Bill Walton (7 rebounds in 18 minutes) sent the crowd into rapture and drew a prolonged standing ovation in the second quarter when he answered a nice Akeem Olajuwon rejection of Jerry Sichting by smashing a defensive rebound in finest Karch Karaly style 30 feet upcourt to start a fast break finished off by a Scott Wedman jumper . . . Wedman's 19 points represented his biggest offensive output since the return of Kevin McHale.
MCHALE RECLAIMS STARTER'S ROLE FROM WEDMAN
March 4, 1986
MCHALE RECLAIMS STARTER'S ROLE FROM WEDMAN
The guy wasn't too bad, you know. With Scott Wedman as a starter for 18 of the past 19 games, the Celtics have gone 15-3. It's not like he spread bad karma, or anything.
But Kevin McHale is now ready to resume more responsibility, and so barring any unforeseen developments between this morning and game time tonight (8:30, Channel 56), he will become the starter. Wedman will once again be a reserve.
Don't think McHale's being pushy, either. At no time in his Celtics career has he ever made a fuss about his geographic location at the start of a game. "I don't care much about starting or not starting," he insists. "It's never been a priority. Playing or not playing -- that's different. To me, it's strictly a coach's decision. Whatever he thinks will be the best for the team."
It's clear that returning McHale to the lineup is exactly what K.C. Jones thinks will be best for the team, because when asked whether he seriously considered, for even one second, maintaining the status quo now that McHale appears healthy, Jones barked "No!"
Wedman's feelings aren't at issue here. If they were, he would still be starting. "I like it (starting)," he said. "I like it a lot. I think starting has helped my confidence somewhat, and I just hope I'll keep doing as well off the bench."
Not that Wedman, a solid team player, disputes the command decision. "Kevin has earned it," Wedman says. "Since he's come back, he's been great."
No argument there. Since his seven-minute, scoreless, five-turnover ice- breaking opener on Tuesday in New York ("I just wanted to see if I could run up and down the floor, but I didn't expect to be that bad"), McHale has resumed his pre-injury level of play. He has shot 6 for 9, 10 for 11 and 10 for 10 in the past three games. He scored 26 points in 30 minutes against the LA Clippers on Friday night and 25 points in 23 minutes on Sunday against Detroit.
Coach Jones says that Wedman can still expect to see a lot of minutes, since he doesn't want to overwork either of his starting forwards. "Kevin got 23 minutes against Detroit and Larry was up around 40 (actually 41). I'd like to keep Larry's minutes down, so there are plenty of minutes available for Scotty."
Wedman averaged 12 points a game as a starter, with a high of 24 on Jan. 31 against Washington. His outside shooting made life comfortable for Robert Parish inside, and he did his share on the boards. He did what could only be described as a professional job. The question now is whether he can pro-rate his performance according to his new level of minutes played. Prior to becoming a starter he had only reached double figures nine times. Then again, prior to becoming a starter, the most minutes he had played was 28 on Opening Night, when Bird was having a long night.
Trainer Ray Melchiorre was searching for a gym in which to hold a midday shootaround prior to the game with the Bulls tonight. When the Celtics last visited Chicago, K.C. dispensed with the shootaround and the team arrived at the Chicago Stadium in a lethargic state . . . Bird has regained first place in the foul shooting derby. His 27-for-28 streak has him up to .899. Chris Mullin is second at .896 . . . The Celtics are 21-10 on the road . . . Chicago will suit up tonight without Michael Jordan (only three games played all season), Jawaan Oldham (broken right cheekbone), Dave Corzine (broken left hand), Quintin Dailey (suspended list) for sure, and will probably play without Orlando Woolridge, who has missed the last four games with a strained muscle in the right knee. Woolridge is listed as "doubtful."
MCHALE RECLAIMS STARTER'S ROLE FROM WEDMAN
The guy wasn't too bad, you know. With Scott Wedman as a starter for 18 of the past 19 games, the Celtics have gone 15-3. It's not like he spread bad karma, or anything.
But Kevin McHale is now ready to resume more responsibility, and so barring any unforeseen developments between this morning and game time tonight (8:30, Channel 56), he will become the starter. Wedman will once again be a reserve.
Don't think McHale's being pushy, either. At no time in his Celtics career has he ever made a fuss about his geographic location at the start of a game. "I don't care much about starting or not starting," he insists. "It's never been a priority. Playing or not playing -- that's different. To me, it's strictly a coach's decision. Whatever he thinks will be the best for the team."
It's clear that returning McHale to the lineup is exactly what K.C. Jones thinks will be best for the team, because when asked whether he seriously considered, for even one second, maintaining the status quo now that McHale appears healthy, Jones barked "No!"
Wedman's feelings aren't at issue here. If they were, he would still be starting. "I like it (starting)," he said. "I like it a lot. I think starting has helped my confidence somewhat, and I just hope I'll keep doing as well off the bench."
Not that Wedman, a solid team player, disputes the command decision. "Kevin has earned it," Wedman says. "Since he's come back, he's been great."
No argument there. Since his seven-minute, scoreless, five-turnover ice- breaking opener on Tuesday in New York ("I just wanted to see if I could run up and down the floor, but I didn't expect to be that bad"), McHale has resumed his pre-injury level of play. He has shot 6 for 9, 10 for 11 and 10 for 10 in the past three games. He scored 26 points in 30 minutes against the LA Clippers on Friday night and 25 points in 23 minutes on Sunday against Detroit.
Coach Jones says that Wedman can still expect to see a lot of minutes, since he doesn't want to overwork either of his starting forwards. "Kevin got 23 minutes against Detroit and Larry was up around 40 (actually 41). I'd like to keep Larry's minutes down, so there are plenty of minutes available for Scotty."
Wedman averaged 12 points a game as a starter, with a high of 24 on Jan. 31 against Washington. His outside shooting made life comfortable for Robert Parish inside, and he did his share on the boards. He did what could only be described as a professional job. The question now is whether he can pro-rate his performance according to his new level of minutes played. Prior to becoming a starter he had only reached double figures nine times. Then again, prior to becoming a starter, the most minutes he had played was 28 on Opening Night, when Bird was having a long night.
Trainer Ray Melchiorre was searching for a gym in which to hold a midday shootaround prior to the game with the Bulls tonight. When the Celtics last visited Chicago, K.C. dispensed with the shootaround and the team arrived at the Chicago Stadium in a lethargic state . . . Bird has regained first place in the foul shooting derby. His 27-for-28 streak has him up to .899. Chris Mullin is second at .896 . . . The Celtics are 21-10 on the road . . . Chicago will suit up tonight without Michael Jordan (only three games played all season), Jawaan Oldham (broken right cheekbone), Dave Corzine (broken left hand), Quintin Dailey (suspended list) for sure, and will probably play without Orlando Woolridge, who has missed the last four games with a strained muscle in the right knee. Woolridge is listed as "doubtful."
Wedman Feeling Better as Bird Averages 31, 13, and 7.7 on Road Trip
February 21, 1986
Wedman Feeling Better as Bird Averages 31, 13, and 7.7 on Road Trip
Flanked by his wife, Kim, and physical therapist/chiropractor Steve Krischel, Scott Wedman strolled into the lobby of the Denver Marriott early yesterday afternoon.
"I feel much better," said Wedman. "I'm going to warm up and try to play if I can."
Wedman left the Celtics in Phoenix Tuesday and flew to Kansas City while the team flew to Oakland, Calif. The Celtics organization said Wedman was excused to handle a personal problem, but refused to elaborate. When it became apparent that Wedman wasn't going to make it to Oakland for Wednesday's game, the Celts finally admitted that Wedman was suffering from a strained back.
Greg Kite started in Wedman's place Wednesday and grabbed nine rebounds as the Celts beat the Warriors, 115-100. Larry Bird registered his third triple- double of the trip: 36 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
Wedman got a loud round of applause when he boarded the team bus last night. Aware of the speculation and confusion surrounding Wedman's departure, the players kidded Wedman about the rumors sparked by his absence.
"I'm not really that worried about it," Wedman said before last night's game. "People that know what's going on know what the problem is. The main thing now is to take care of my back.
"The longer I let it go, the worse it gets," said Wedman. "Kansas City was the closest place without flying back to Boston . . . I'm sure the people (doctors) in Boston could have helped too, but it would have been a lot more flying time Tuesday."
Wedman said Krischel might accompany him to Boston when the Celtics return home today.
Celtics coach K.C. Jones started Wedman at the small forward spot last night.
He's a Real Nowhere Man: Kevin McHale didn't plan to play last night. Due to a sore left Achilles' tendon, McHale hasn't started a game since Jan. 22 and did not play a minute in the first six games of the Coast trip. Jones finally admitted that he would have left McHale home if he'd known McHale wouldn't play on the trip. "It's something we didn't know at the time," said Jones. "My approach was positive."
Danny Ainge shot 5 for 15 in Oakland and was 12 for 46 on the trip prior to last night's game. "I hadn't shot enough shots to be in a slump until tonight," Ainge said after the Warrior game. "But now I'm in one and I have to shoot my way out of it." . . . In the first six games of the trip, Bird averaged 31.5 points, 13 rebounds and 7.7 assists. Informed of yet another flight delay at the Oakland airport early yesterday, Bird said, "Anybody got a blank stat sheet? I want to mail my stats in for tonight's game and go home. Put me down for 20 points, 18 rebounds and no assists." . . . Jerry Sichting shot 62 percent (18 for 29) in five games after an 0-for-4 start in Sacramento. He's shooting 54 percent from the floor this season . . . Bill Walton is averaging 16.2 rebounds per 48 minutes . . . Rick Carlisle grew a beard while on the road, but says he plans to shave it off . . . Robert Parish had his name misspelled in the official box (Parrish) for the fifth time in seven stops when the Celts visited Oakland. Parish is a six-time All-Star and played four seasons for Golden State . . . Celtics equipment masters Wayne LeBeaux and Joe Qatato have been helping out since the team was in Los Angeles.
Wedman Feeling Better as Bird Averages 31, 13, and 7.7 on Road Trip
Flanked by his wife, Kim, and physical therapist/chiropractor Steve Krischel, Scott Wedman strolled into the lobby of the Denver Marriott early yesterday afternoon.
"I feel much better," said Wedman. "I'm going to warm up and try to play if I can."
Wedman left the Celtics in Phoenix Tuesday and flew to Kansas City while the team flew to Oakland, Calif. The Celtics organization said Wedman was excused to handle a personal problem, but refused to elaborate. When it became apparent that Wedman wasn't going to make it to Oakland for Wednesday's game, the Celts finally admitted that Wedman was suffering from a strained back.
Greg Kite started in Wedman's place Wednesday and grabbed nine rebounds as the Celts beat the Warriors, 115-100. Larry Bird registered his third triple- double of the trip: 36 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
Wedman got a loud round of applause when he boarded the team bus last night. Aware of the speculation and confusion surrounding Wedman's departure, the players kidded Wedman about the rumors sparked by his absence.
"I'm not really that worried about it," Wedman said before last night's game. "People that know what's going on know what the problem is. The main thing now is to take care of my back.
"The longer I let it go, the worse it gets," said Wedman. "Kansas City was the closest place without flying back to Boston . . . I'm sure the people (doctors) in Boston could have helped too, but it would have been a lot more flying time Tuesday."
Wedman said Krischel might accompany him to Boston when the Celtics return home today.
Celtics coach K.C. Jones started Wedman at the small forward spot last night.
He's a Real Nowhere Man: Kevin McHale didn't plan to play last night. Due to a sore left Achilles' tendon, McHale hasn't started a game since Jan. 22 and did not play a minute in the first six games of the Coast trip. Jones finally admitted that he would have left McHale home if he'd known McHale wouldn't play on the trip. "It's something we didn't know at the time," said Jones. "My approach was positive."
Danny Ainge shot 5 for 15 in Oakland and was 12 for 46 on the trip prior to last night's game. "I hadn't shot enough shots to be in a slump until tonight," Ainge said after the Warrior game. "But now I'm in one and I have to shoot my way out of it." . . . In the first six games of the trip, Bird averaged 31.5 points, 13 rebounds and 7.7 assists. Informed of yet another flight delay at the Oakland airport early yesterday, Bird said, "Anybody got a blank stat sheet? I want to mail my stats in for tonight's game and go home. Put me down for 20 points, 18 rebounds and no assists." . . . Jerry Sichting shot 62 percent (18 for 29) in five games after an 0-for-4 start in Sacramento. He's shooting 54 percent from the floor this season . . . Bill Walton is averaging 16.2 rebounds per 48 minutes . . . Rick Carlisle grew a beard while on the road, but says he plans to shave it off . . . Robert Parish had his name misspelled in the official box (Parrish) for the fifth time in seven stops when the Celts visited Oakland. Parish is a six-time All-Star and played four seasons for Golden State . . . Celtics equipment masters Wayne LeBeaux and Joe Qatato have been helping out since the team was in Los Angeles.
WEDMAN SITUATION BOTCHED
March 1986
WEDMAN SITUATION BOTCHED
The Celtics management's handling of Scott Wedman's back problem was a disservice to Wedman and Celtics fans everywhere. When Wedman left the team and went home to Kansas City Tuesday, it was announced that he had a "personal problem." General manager Jan Volk, trainer Ray Melchiorre, assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers and publicist Jeff Twiss would not elaborate. For 24 hours, fans were allowed to draw their own conclusions about Wedman's absence.
One day later, when it was obvious that Wedman wouldn't make it to last night's game against Golden State, it was announced that Wedman had a back injury. Why did the Celtics try to cover up a back injury? "K.C. (Jones) didn't want to make a big deal out of it," said Volk.
"I figured personal business was all there was to say," Jones said last night. "It was nothing to really get excited about."
In fact, the Celtics made a much bigger deal out of the situation by issuing a short and mysterious statement about Wedman's "personal problem." Since when has a back injury been termed a personal problem? Was no one astute enough to recognize the ominous overtones of this tiny bit of information?
Micheal Ray Richardson, Quintin Dailey, John Lucas and Walter Davis left their teams because of "personal problems." Scott Wedman left because he needed some work on his bad back.
Why did the Celtics attempt to prevent Wedman's injury from being publicized? There are two plausible explanations.
(1) The Tass News Agency Theory: The Celtics only tell you what they want you to know. They are required to do nothing more than that, and are certainly free to handle the media and the public with their trademark institutional arrogance. After all, if they can keep other teams from knowing about Wedman's injury, it could be beneficial to The Cause.
(2) The Internal Medical Squabble Theory: Celtics team physician Thomas Silva bristles when Boston players seek help elsewhere. Wedman went to Kansas City to be treated by chiropractor and physical therapist Steve Krischel. Hiding the nature of Wedman's problem served to minimize the hard feelings and jealousy that permeate the Celtics' medical department.
WEDMAN SITUATION BOTCHED
The Celtics management's handling of Scott Wedman's back problem was a disservice to Wedman and Celtics fans everywhere. When Wedman left the team and went home to Kansas City Tuesday, it was announced that he had a "personal problem." General manager Jan Volk, trainer Ray Melchiorre, assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers and publicist Jeff Twiss would not elaborate. For 24 hours, fans were allowed to draw their own conclusions about Wedman's absence.
One day later, when it was obvious that Wedman wouldn't make it to last night's game against Golden State, it was announced that Wedman had a back injury. Why did the Celtics try to cover up a back injury? "K.C. (Jones) didn't want to make a big deal out of it," said Volk.
"I figured personal business was all there was to say," Jones said last night. "It was nothing to really get excited about."
In fact, the Celtics made a much bigger deal out of the situation by issuing a short and mysterious statement about Wedman's "personal problem." Since when has a back injury been termed a personal problem? Was no one astute enough to recognize the ominous overtones of this tiny bit of information?
Micheal Ray Richardson, Quintin Dailey, John Lucas and Walter Davis left their teams because of "personal problems." Scott Wedman left because he needed some work on his bad back.
Why did the Celtics attempt to prevent Wedman's injury from being publicized? There are two plausible explanations.
(1) The Tass News Agency Theory: The Celtics only tell you what they want you to know. They are required to do nothing more than that, and are certainly free to handle the media and the public with their trademark institutional arrogance. After all, if they can keep other teams from knowing about Wedman's injury, it could be beneficial to The Cause.
(2) The Internal Medical Squabble Theory: Celtics team physician Thomas Silva bristles when Boston players seek help elsewhere. Wedman went to Kansas City to be treated by chiropractor and physical therapist Steve Krischel. Hiding the nature of Wedman's problem served to minimize the hard feelings and jealousy that permeate the Celtics' medical department.
'86 C's 6-0 with Wedman Subbing for Injured McHale
2/6/86
'86 C's 6-0 with Wedman Subbing for Injured McHale
Kevin McHale, originally scheduled for bench duty, was scratched moments before game time last night.
Celtics coach K.C. Jones had hoped McHale would see some action, but his damaged Achilles' tendon stiffened up, so once again starting duties went to Scott Wedman,
"Scott (The Lip) Wedman will start," said Jones. The mentor was, of course, alluding to the mouth injury sustained by Wedman in the first half of Sunday's comback conquest of Seattle. Wedman's teeth actually went through his upper lip, and the wonder is that the wound was closed with a scant four stitches.
McHale played 12 first-half minutes Tuesday in Milwaukee, abusing Alton Lister & Co. for 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting, and then retired for the rest of the game when his ailing tendon stiffened.
The Celtics entered last night's game with a 21-1 home record . . . Washington has hung tough through the usual assortment of injuries which are endemic to the franchise by the Potomac. The Bullets arrived here without their best player. Jeff Ruland, who had not been back for long after missing 22 games with an avulsion fracture of the right ankle, reinjured the ankle Saturday night against Detroit . . . With rookie Manute Bol at center for those 22 games, however, the Bullets went a respectable 12-10, which assistant coach Fred Carter thinks is remarkable. "What Manute has done," said Carter, "is like a guy coming out of high school and working for, let's say, General Dynamics. That's basically what it is." Carter says that on a scale of 1 to 10, Bol is up to about a 6, with his offense still in the learning stages . . . The 7-foot-7-inch Sudanese rookie is leading the league in blocked shots, having averaged almost seven a game since becoming the starting center in Ruland's absence.
The Celtics were 3-0 against Washington this season before last night . . . Boston was 6-0 with Wedman in the starting lineup, and during those six games, Wedman had averaged 18.2 points on 53 percent shooting . . . This was the final game before the All-Star break for the Celtics, as well as their final Boston Garden appearance until Feb. 26.
'86 C's 6-0 with Wedman Subbing for Injured McHale
Kevin McHale, originally scheduled for bench duty, was scratched moments before game time last night.
Celtics coach K.C. Jones had hoped McHale would see some action, but his damaged Achilles' tendon stiffened up, so once again starting duties went to Scott Wedman,
"Scott (The Lip) Wedman will start," said Jones. The mentor was, of course, alluding to the mouth injury sustained by Wedman in the first half of Sunday's comback conquest of Seattle. Wedman's teeth actually went through his upper lip, and the wonder is that the wound was closed with a scant four stitches.
McHale played 12 first-half minutes Tuesday in Milwaukee, abusing Alton Lister & Co. for 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting, and then retired for the rest of the game when his ailing tendon stiffened.
The Celtics entered last night's game with a 21-1 home record . . . Washington has hung tough through the usual assortment of injuries which are endemic to the franchise by the Potomac. The Bullets arrived here without their best player. Jeff Ruland, who had not been back for long after missing 22 games with an avulsion fracture of the right ankle, reinjured the ankle Saturday night against Detroit . . . With rookie Manute Bol at center for those 22 games, however, the Bullets went a respectable 12-10, which assistant coach Fred Carter thinks is remarkable. "What Manute has done," said Carter, "is like a guy coming out of high school and working for, let's say, General Dynamics. That's basically what it is." Carter says that on a scale of 1 to 10, Bol is up to about a 6, with his offense still in the learning stages . . . The 7-foot-7-inch Sudanese rookie is leading the league in blocked shots, having averaged almost seven a game since becoming the starting center in Ruland's absence.
The Celtics were 3-0 against Washington this season before last night . . . Boston was 6-0 with Wedman in the starting lineup, and during those six games, Wedman had averaged 18.2 points on 53 percent shooting . . . This was the final game before the All-Star break for the Celtics, as well as their final Boston Garden appearance until Feb. 26.
Wedman More than Pulling his Weight in McHale's Absence
2/2/86
Wedman More than Pulling his Weight in McHale's Absence
Scott Wedman has done a nice job in McHale's place. Wedman is averaging 19.2 points and 7 rebounds while playing 34 minutes per game in the last four contests. He's shot 52 percent (34 for 66) as a starter and has committed only one turnover in four games. Wedman scored a season-high 24 in Friday's victory at Washington.
Wedman More than Pulling his Weight in McHale's Absence
Scott Wedman has done a nice job in McHale's place. Wedman is averaging 19.2 points and 7 rebounds while playing 34 minutes per game in the last four contests. He's shot 52 percent (34 for 66) as a starter and has committed only one turnover in four games. Wedman scored a season-high 24 in Friday's victory at Washington.
PERFECT 10 FOR CELTICS; WEDMAN HELPS TOP BULLETS, 97-88
February 1, 1986
PERFECT 10 FOR CELTICS; WEDMAN HELPS TOP BULLETS, 97-88
You've read this story before: There's a sold-out dance hall and a team on the rise trying to make its name and impress hometown skeptics with a victory over the Boston Celtics. Then Larry Bird and Co. strut into town, break more hearts than Cybill Shepherd and fly home with another notch in the sweatband.
The story line has been played out in Atlanta, Ga., and East Rutherford, N.J., already this year. Last night the site was Landover, Md., as the Celts turned back the heretofore high-flying Washington Bullets, 97-88, before 19,123 at the Capital Centre.
It was Boston's 10th straight victory, and perhaps it is time we started paying attention to The Streak. Boston's win skein is the longest in the NBA this season and ties the fourth-longest of the Bird era (the Celts won 18 straight in 1981).
Friday in Washington was much like Thursday in Chicago and every other day in every other city since Christmas. For a full 48 minutes of court time, there was a sense of inevitability. One always gets the feeling that the Celts are never in danger and will ultimately prevail.
Unimpressed by 7-foot-7-inch Manute Bol, a healthy Jeff Ruland, All-Star Jeff Malone and conehead Leon Wood, the Celts blunted the Bullets. Scott Wedman (starting his fourth straight in place of Kevin McHale) hit 11 of 17 floor shots and scored a season-high 24 points with 9 rebounds. Wedman had 17 points at halftime.
"We wished McHale was back playing the way Wedman was shooting in the first half," said Ruland.
Meanwhile, Robert Parish again devoured the backboards (14 rebounds), and the ubiquitous Bird (14 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 blocks) did everything else.
"It all starts with Larry Bird," said Wedman. "Larry Bird brings a winning attitude to this team like nothing I've ever seen."
The Celts trailed only once -- 33-32 in the second period. Boston led, 26-18, after one, 51-46 at halftime, and stretched it to 75-64 at the end of three. The lead swelled to 21 midway through the final period.
Wedman drained his first four jumpers as the Celts bolted to a 12-4 lead. Bullets coach Gene Shue responded by inserting Darren (Make My) Daye and Ruland. Daye took over on Wedman.
"We talked about Wedman's outside shooting and how we had to go out and play him," groaned Shue. "Then we didn't do it."
Wearing a Slick Watts headband on his bald dome, Wood came in and missed his first two shots. Boston held a 12-3 rebounding advantage at that juncture, and Bol was pulled. A jumper by Bird made it 22-10. Cliff Robinson helped the Bullets claw back to within eight at the end of one.
Ruland led a flurry at the start of the second as the Bullets closed the gap to three. Then Manute returned and swatted consecutive shots by Sam Vincent and David Thirdkill. Wood followed with a three-pointer, and it was 30-30. Wood's next three-pointer gave Washington its only lead. Let's not hear any more stories about how great Wood (21 points on 20 shots) is. He heaved his three-pointer while a grumbling Ruland was under the basket being guarded by 6-1 Jerry Sichting.
Jones reinstated his starters, and Wedman put the Celts back on top with a three-pointer. Boston led by five at intermission.
The Bullets trimmed it to three a couple of times early in the third, but Bird, Parish and Danny Ainge (nine assists) soon had the lead back in double figures. Parish snatched six rebounds in the third period. Brutal Bullet shooting (8 for 22) helped the Celts cruise to an 11-point lead at the end of three.
K.C. went with the shock troops at the start of the fourth, and a pair of Rick Carlisle jumpers made it 79-64. A three-point play by Bill Walton with 8:17 remaining made it 86-67. Then Sichting kicked off garbage time with a bomb which pushed Boston's lead to 21 and started the exodus back to our nation's capital.
The Bullets shot 41 percent and totaled a pitiful 16 assists. Bol finished with seven blocks, seven points and six rebounds in 31 minutes, but was never a factor.
Ruland's summation: "It was disgusting."
Shue credited Boston: "The Celtics run basic plays and they make them work. The addition of Bill Walton is a major improvement. When they make substitutions, there's no weakness."
PERFECT 10 FOR CELTICS; WEDMAN HELPS TOP BULLETS, 97-88
You've read this story before: There's a sold-out dance hall and a team on the rise trying to make its name and impress hometown skeptics with a victory over the Boston Celtics. Then Larry Bird and Co. strut into town, break more hearts than Cybill Shepherd and fly home with another notch in the sweatband.
The story line has been played out in Atlanta, Ga., and East Rutherford, N.J., already this year. Last night the site was Landover, Md., as the Celts turned back the heretofore high-flying Washington Bullets, 97-88, before 19,123 at the Capital Centre.
It was Boston's 10th straight victory, and perhaps it is time we started paying attention to The Streak. Boston's win skein is the longest in the NBA this season and ties the fourth-longest of the Bird era (the Celts won 18 straight in 1981).
Friday in Washington was much like Thursday in Chicago and every other day in every other city since Christmas. For a full 48 minutes of court time, there was a sense of inevitability. One always gets the feeling that the Celts are never in danger and will ultimately prevail.
Unimpressed by 7-foot-7-inch Manute Bol, a healthy Jeff Ruland, All-Star Jeff Malone and conehead Leon Wood, the Celts blunted the Bullets. Scott Wedman (starting his fourth straight in place of Kevin McHale) hit 11 of 17 floor shots and scored a season-high 24 points with 9 rebounds. Wedman had 17 points at halftime.
"We wished McHale was back playing the way Wedman was shooting in the first half," said Ruland.
Meanwhile, Robert Parish again devoured the backboards (14 rebounds), and the ubiquitous Bird (14 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 blocks) did everything else.
"It all starts with Larry Bird," said Wedman. "Larry Bird brings a winning attitude to this team like nothing I've ever seen."
The Celts trailed only once -- 33-32 in the second period. Boston led, 26-18, after one, 51-46 at halftime, and stretched it to 75-64 at the end of three. The lead swelled to 21 midway through the final period.
Wedman drained his first four jumpers as the Celts bolted to a 12-4 lead. Bullets coach Gene Shue responded by inserting Darren (Make My) Daye and Ruland. Daye took over on Wedman.
"We talked about Wedman's outside shooting and how we had to go out and play him," groaned Shue. "Then we didn't do it."
Wearing a Slick Watts headband on his bald dome, Wood came in and missed his first two shots. Boston held a 12-3 rebounding advantage at that juncture, and Bol was pulled. A jumper by Bird made it 22-10. Cliff Robinson helped the Bullets claw back to within eight at the end of one.
Ruland led a flurry at the start of the second as the Bullets closed the gap to three. Then Manute returned and swatted consecutive shots by Sam Vincent and David Thirdkill. Wood followed with a three-pointer, and it was 30-30. Wood's next three-pointer gave Washington its only lead. Let's not hear any more stories about how great Wood (21 points on 20 shots) is. He heaved his three-pointer while a grumbling Ruland was under the basket being guarded by 6-1 Jerry Sichting.
Jones reinstated his starters, and Wedman put the Celts back on top with a three-pointer. Boston led by five at intermission.
The Bullets trimmed it to three a couple of times early in the third, but Bird, Parish and Danny Ainge (nine assists) soon had the lead back in double figures. Parish snatched six rebounds in the third period. Brutal Bullet shooting (8 for 22) helped the Celts cruise to an 11-point lead at the end of three.
K.C. went with the shock troops at the start of the fourth, and a pair of Rick Carlisle jumpers made it 79-64. A three-point play by Bill Walton with 8:17 remaining made it 86-67. Then Sichting kicked off garbage time with a bomb which pushed Boston's lead to 21 and started the exodus back to our nation's capital.
The Bullets shot 41 percent and totaled a pitiful 16 assists. Bol finished with seven blocks, seven points and six rebounds in 31 minutes, but was never a factor.
Ruland's summation: "It was disgusting."
Shue credited Boston: "The Celtics run basic plays and they make them work. The addition of Bill Walton is a major improvement. When they make substitutions, there's no weakness."
WEDMAN SPURS CELTICS TO MEMORABLE WIN
January 27, 1986
WEDMAN SPURS CELTICS TO MEMORABLE WIN
Closer to home, the Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers staged a midseason, midwinter classic. Dare we call it Super?
This had to be the highlight of Super Bowl brunches from Waterville Valley to Big Sur.
As stuffed bears dangled from the Garden balconies, the legends of basketball danced a 48-minute symphony on the parquet floor of the archaic train station. Thanks to the magic of CBS, folks who thought Bill Walton disappeared with Patty Hearst discovered that the Big Redhead is thriving in Celtic green.
With Kevin McHale (sore Achilles' tendon) absent, Walton scored 19 points with 13 rebounds in 25 minutes as the Celtics defeated the 76ers, 105-103. Larry Bird added 14 rebounds and a troika of stake-driving three-pointers in his 28-point day, and folks named Scott Wedman (16) and David Thirdkill also contributed heavily.
Before we get to the Wild Man of Borneo -- Charles Barkley -- let the record show that Boston has beaten Philly three times in four tries and leads the Sixers by 5 1/2 games with 41 left. Overall, the Celts have won eight straight and 12 of 13, including impressive victories over the Lakers and 76ers in a five-day span.
Philly came to town with four straight wins and a 17-2 record in the last two months. The Sixers hoped to exploit McHale's absence and reenter the laughable Atlantic Division first-place chase.
Despite a heartbreaking defeat, the inimitable Barkley remained unconvinced.
After barreling his way to 26 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, Barkley said, "I'll stick to my original statement. I don't think they can beat us, and if you are intelligent, you saw the same thing today. They cannot beat us. They cannot beat us. The only problem we have is mental. We gave the game away. I honestly think they know they can't beat us."
Barkley's comments raised some eyebrows in the Celtics' locker room.
"I don't know how many times we got to beat them to prove it," said Danny Ainge. "We beat 'em today without Kevin, the player on our team who probably gives them the most problems. Just tell him to keep yapping, that's all."
Robert Parish (five blocks) added, "I'm tired of hearing about Charles Barkley. He's taking over (Cedric) Maxwell's role in the Eastern Conference -- all mouth. I think it's probably good for their team because they have to go out and back that up, which they did not do today. We'll see what he has to say when we go to Philadelphia."
Wedman (16 points), suddenly playing like the All-Star he was a decade ago, started in place of McHale and scored 10 in the first quarter as the Celts squeaked to a 29-27 lead. Boston led by seven earlier in the period, but Barkley brought the Sixers back.
The second quarter was a groaner. The Celts scored only five field goals and shot 38 percent, while Philadelphia shot 37 percent. The Celts led, 51-50, at intermission.
Memories were created after halftime. Maurice Cheeks (22 points, 8 assists) led a five-minute, 20-4 Sixer run, and the visitors ran to a 74-61 lead.
Bird reentered the game and went on one of his Death Wish vigilante rampages. He started with two free throws, then chuckled with the rest of America as Barkley missed a dunk. The ball bounced off the back of the rim and sailed toward the Bruins' 1972 Stanley Cup flag.
Then Walton tapped in two Celtic misses and stole a Cheeks pass. Bird followed with a crowd-detonating three-pointer. It was 76-70, and Sixer coach Matt Guokas wanted a timeout. We should mention that Thirdkill (18 minutes) was doing a nice job on Julius Erving (13 points, 3 rebounds) at this juncture.
After the pause, Bird rebounded a Moses Malone miss (he shot 3 for 16) and set up Ainge for a jumper. Another Bird three-pointer cut it to 76-75 and forced another Philly timeout.
Before the quarter was over, Walton hit a turnaround banker and a hook over Malone. Then came the clincher. Bird scrambled for a loose ball after Malone missed a second straight free throw and nailed a 35-foot buzzer-beater to send the Celts into the fourth with an 82-78 lead. Bedlam. Don't underestimate the psychological impact of Bird's bomb. It is significant that each of his three- pointers was followed by a timeout or a break between quarters.
The final period was no less spectacular. The Celts trailed, 99-96, with 3:55 left but held Philadelphia without a basket the rest of the way.
Walton played up front with Parish for the final 6:49 and scored over Barkley to cut it to 99-98 with three minutes left. Then Barkley missed another dunk. This one catapulted toward midcourt.
Both teams missed several opportunities before Parish blocked a Malone shot and Ainge found Bird with a cross-court fast-break feed for a layup. Bird was fouled and made the free throw to give the Celts a 101-99 lead with a minute left.
Malone (5 for 10 from the line) made a free throw with 0:40 showing but missed the second. Walton rebounded, was fouled and made two to give the Celts a 103-100 lead with 33 seconds left. Cheeks was fouled driving to the basket and made both to cut it to one with 29 seconds left.
As the shot clock wound down, Bird was forced to fire a bomb. He missed, but Walton flew in from the left wing and snatched the most important rebound of the game. He fed to Dennis Johnson, who was fouled with three seconds left. DJ made both to seal the victory.
WEDMAN SPURS CELTICS TO MEMORABLE WIN
Closer to home, the Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers staged a midseason, midwinter classic. Dare we call it Super?
This had to be the highlight of Super Bowl brunches from Waterville Valley to Big Sur.
As stuffed bears dangled from the Garden balconies, the legends of basketball danced a 48-minute symphony on the parquet floor of the archaic train station. Thanks to the magic of CBS, folks who thought Bill Walton disappeared with Patty Hearst discovered that the Big Redhead is thriving in Celtic green.
With Kevin McHale (sore Achilles' tendon) absent, Walton scored 19 points with 13 rebounds in 25 minutes as the Celtics defeated the 76ers, 105-103. Larry Bird added 14 rebounds and a troika of stake-driving three-pointers in his 28-point day, and folks named Scott Wedman (16) and David Thirdkill also contributed heavily.
Before we get to the Wild Man of Borneo -- Charles Barkley -- let the record show that Boston has beaten Philly three times in four tries and leads the Sixers by 5 1/2 games with 41 left. Overall, the Celts have won eight straight and 12 of 13, including impressive victories over the Lakers and 76ers in a five-day span.
Philly came to town with four straight wins and a 17-2 record in the last two months. The Sixers hoped to exploit McHale's absence and reenter the laughable Atlantic Division first-place chase.
Despite a heartbreaking defeat, the inimitable Barkley remained unconvinced.
After barreling his way to 26 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, Barkley said, "I'll stick to my original statement. I don't think they can beat us, and if you are intelligent, you saw the same thing today. They cannot beat us. They cannot beat us. The only problem we have is mental. We gave the game away. I honestly think they know they can't beat us."
Barkley's comments raised some eyebrows in the Celtics' locker room.
"I don't know how many times we got to beat them to prove it," said Danny Ainge. "We beat 'em today without Kevin, the player on our team who probably gives them the most problems. Just tell him to keep yapping, that's all."
Robert Parish (five blocks) added, "I'm tired of hearing about Charles Barkley. He's taking over (Cedric) Maxwell's role in the Eastern Conference -- all mouth. I think it's probably good for their team because they have to go out and back that up, which they did not do today. We'll see what he has to say when we go to Philadelphia."
Wedman (16 points), suddenly playing like the All-Star he was a decade ago, started in place of McHale and scored 10 in the first quarter as the Celts squeaked to a 29-27 lead. Boston led by seven earlier in the period, but Barkley brought the Sixers back.
The second quarter was a groaner. The Celts scored only five field goals and shot 38 percent, while Philadelphia shot 37 percent. The Celts led, 51-50, at intermission.
Memories were created after halftime. Maurice Cheeks (22 points, 8 assists) led a five-minute, 20-4 Sixer run, and the visitors ran to a 74-61 lead.
Bird reentered the game and went on one of his Death Wish vigilante rampages. He started with two free throws, then chuckled with the rest of America as Barkley missed a dunk. The ball bounced off the back of the rim and sailed toward the Bruins' 1972 Stanley Cup flag.
Then Walton tapped in two Celtic misses and stole a Cheeks pass. Bird followed with a crowd-detonating three-pointer. It was 76-70, and Sixer coach Matt Guokas wanted a timeout. We should mention that Thirdkill (18 minutes) was doing a nice job on Julius Erving (13 points, 3 rebounds) at this juncture.
After the pause, Bird rebounded a Moses Malone miss (he shot 3 for 16) and set up Ainge for a jumper. Another Bird three-pointer cut it to 76-75 and forced another Philly timeout.
Before the quarter was over, Walton hit a turnaround banker and a hook over Malone. Then came the clincher. Bird scrambled for a loose ball after Malone missed a second straight free throw and nailed a 35-foot buzzer-beater to send the Celts into the fourth with an 82-78 lead. Bedlam. Don't underestimate the psychological impact of Bird's bomb. It is significant that each of his three- pointers was followed by a timeout or a break between quarters.
The final period was no less spectacular. The Celts trailed, 99-96, with 3:55 left but held Philadelphia without a basket the rest of the way.
Walton played up front with Parish for the final 6:49 and scored over Barkley to cut it to 99-98 with three minutes left. Then Barkley missed another dunk. This one catapulted toward midcourt.
Both teams missed several opportunities before Parish blocked a Malone shot and Ainge found Bird with a cross-court fast-break feed for a layup. Bird was fouled and made the free throw to give the Celts a 101-99 lead with a minute left.
Malone (5 for 10 from the line) made a free throw with 0:40 showing but missed the second. Walton rebounded, was fouled and made two to give the Celts a 103-100 lead with 33 seconds left. Cheeks was fouled driving to the basket and made both to cut it to one with 29 seconds left.
As the shot clock wound down, Bird was forced to fire a bomb. He missed, but Walton flew in from the left wing and snatched the most important rebound of the game. He fed to Dennis Johnson, who was fouled with three seconds left. DJ made both to seal the victory.
WEDMAN TYPIFIES CELTICS' BENCH STRENGTH
January 20, 1986
WEDMAN TYPIFIES CELTICS' BENCH STRENGTH
Let's start with the obvious and state that Saturday's 125-122 Celtics overtime victory in Atlanta was one of the best regular season NBA games of this or any year.
The Celtics have won nine of 10 since their nationally televised Christmas Day disgrace against the Knicks. Boston plays host to the world champion Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night, and Saturday's pulsating victory over the Hawks in the Omni indicates that the Celtics are ready for the Lakers.
Larry Bird's 41 points led the Celtics back from a 23-point first-half deficit in a game that was the mirror image of Boston's humiliating loss in New York.
While chestnuts roasted on open fires, the Celtics blew a 25-point lead in New York and lost in overtime. It was Boston's fifth loss in nine games and coach K. C. Jones was criticized for not using his bench during the slump.
The Celtics haven't been the same since. Jones has gone back to his bench and the Celtics have ripped nine of the last 10 opponents. If not for a controversial offensive foul called on Kevin McHale in Detroit, the Celtics might be carrying a 10-game winning streak into the Laker game.
Scott Wedman's turnabout typifies the sudden impact of Boston's bench. Wedman was shooting 41 percent after the Knick disaster and had made only four of 16 shots while scoring only seven points in a five-game stretch. Since Christmas, Wedman is shooting 58 percent (42-73), and averaging 8.8 points. He hit 10 of 16 shots and scored a season-high 21 against the Hawks Saturday.
"The other teams aren't paying much attention to me because they're keying on our big guys," noted Wedman. "That gives me an opportunity to make a difference."
Wedman wasn't too surprised to see the Celtics roar back from a 70-47 deficit in the Omni.
"Nobody on this team doubted we could come back," he said. "We just knew we had a chance and once you get within 10, you're there."
Bird's 17-point third quarter helped the Celtics cut a 22-point half-time deficit to 14 at the end of three. A 14-0 fourth- quarter explosion (six by Wedman) put the Celtics ahead.
WEDMAN TYPIFIES CELTICS' BENCH STRENGTH
Let's start with the obvious and state that Saturday's 125-122 Celtics overtime victory in Atlanta was one of the best regular season NBA games of this or any year.
The Celtics have won nine of 10 since their nationally televised Christmas Day disgrace against the Knicks. Boston plays host to the world champion Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night, and Saturday's pulsating victory over the Hawks in the Omni indicates that the Celtics are ready for the Lakers.
Larry Bird's 41 points led the Celtics back from a 23-point first-half deficit in a game that was the mirror image of Boston's humiliating loss in New York.
While chestnuts roasted on open fires, the Celtics blew a 25-point lead in New York and lost in overtime. It was Boston's fifth loss in nine games and coach K. C. Jones was criticized for not using his bench during the slump.
The Celtics haven't been the same since. Jones has gone back to his bench and the Celtics have ripped nine of the last 10 opponents. If not for a controversial offensive foul called on Kevin McHale in Detroit, the Celtics might be carrying a 10-game winning streak into the Laker game.
Scott Wedman's turnabout typifies the sudden impact of Boston's bench. Wedman was shooting 41 percent after the Knick disaster and had made only four of 16 shots while scoring only seven points in a five-game stretch. Since Christmas, Wedman is shooting 58 percent (42-73), and averaging 8.8 points. He hit 10 of 16 shots and scored a season-high 21 against the Hawks Saturday.
"The other teams aren't paying much attention to me because they're keying on our big guys," noted Wedman. "That gives me an opportunity to make a difference."
Wedman wasn't too surprised to see the Celtics roar back from a 70-47 deficit in the Omni.
"Nobody on this team doubted we could come back," he said. "We just knew we had a chance and once you get within 10, you're there."
Bird's 17-point third quarter helped the Celtics cut a 22-point half-time deficit to 14 at the end of three. A 14-0 fourth- quarter explosion (six by Wedman) put the Celtics ahead.
WEDMAN'S 11-11 PERFORMANCE HELPS C'S BURY L'S
June 11, 1985
WEDMAN'S 11-11 PERFORMANCE IN GAME 1 HELPS C'S BURY L'S
Greg Kite scored seven points. Hit three of five shots. Played 10minutes. An afterthought backup center who had spent so much time on the bench during his two-year career with the Celtics that he qualified as a human splinter. Greg Kite.
"Just say it wasn't our day," moaned Magic Johnson, Los Angeles' normally effervescent superhero. "When Greg Kite comes out and can hit three left- handed hooks, you know . . . Incredible. Just incredible."
Translation: Celtics 148, Lakers 114.
Incredible wasn't the word for it. Unprecedented was. Because nobody could have known that the ninth overall renewal - and second straight - of the NBA's longest-running championship serial would open with such record-shattering force.
In obliterating the most potent offensive team in NBA annals, the host Celtics virtually rewrote play-off history. They scored the most points ever in a championship game. They scored the most points ever (79) in a championship first half. Their halftime spread (30) was the largest ever, as was their overall number of field goals (61). Their shooting (60.8 percent) was the most accurate of all time. Their total assists (43) and margin of victory came within one of tying title standards.
Individually, sixth man Scott Wedman surpassed all play-off marksmen with an 11-for-11 shooting performance. And Wedman didn't even begin firing until the score was 52-29 in the second quarter, which in itself constituted yet another, unofficial championship milestone: earliest garbage time ever.
Wedman and Kevin McHale shared scoring honors with 26 points. Robert Parish (18 points, 8 rebounds) made 38-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (12 and 3) look like a senior citizen as The Chief outraced The Goggled One up and down the court, establishing Boston's frenetic tempo.
Taxing credulity further, the Celtics whipped the whippets who were supposed to run them into the ground - or at least the parquet. The defending champions were considered no match for the lightning Lakers, though LA had dropped eight finals to Boston, including the seven-game 1984 classic. "We thought we were a running team last year," said coach K.C. Jones, "until LA got here in that first game (a 115-109 Laker win) and we all got pneumonia because they were going by us so fast."
The latest edition of the Lakers had done nothing to dispel that blurry image. They set a regular-season shooting record (54.5 percent) and simply turned the tempo up a notch (55.7 percent) in the play-offs, during which they flashdanced past Phoenix, Portland and Denver. In those series, LA won 11 of 13 games, running its overall streak to 31 of 35, and averaged 131.2 points. So when the Lakers visited the Garden sweatshop on an 84-degree afternoon for the championship opener, they were rated series favorites. Even LA coach Pat Riley, a man of perspective, couldn't contain his enthusiasm: "This could be the greatest team in Laker history."
Ah, but not so fast, you LA speed demons. "We never got our fast break going," said Laker reserve and former Celtic Bob McAdoo after the Boston bombardment, "because we spent the day pulling the ball out of the nets. Our game is the quick transition. But they turned the tables on us. That was our game they played."
To the hilt. The Celtics pounded LA from the start: "We came out of the corner like Marvin Hagler," said Jones. Boston blazed from a 9-8 deficit to a 26-12 advantage, forcing Riley to call a timeout. By then, three of the Lakers' most reliable shooters - Byron Scott, James Worthy and Jabbar - were a collective 1 for 14 from the floor.
Meanwhile, guard Danny Ainge was scorching Scott with a 7-for-9, 15-point first period on his way to a 19-point afternoon that served as a yardstick for his teammates. "Once one guy starts to hit," said Larry Bird (19 points), "it catches on."
All Scott could do was catch cold against Ainge. The LA guard entered the series on a 57-percent shooting spree, including a 65-percent decimation of Denver. But in the Boston opener, he got throttled (5 for 14).
In general, the Lakers, who shot a dismal 40 percent, stood by as the Celtics kept connecting in the steamy Garden. "It wasn't too hot," Riley said. "The only heat came from that cannon they kept shooting."
That was torridly evident at the start of the second quarter, when the Celtics buried the Lakers with an 11-for-12 roll, good for a 63-34 cushion. After that, it was all gravy.
"They had their day,," said Riley. "Now our reaction has to be: 'OK, enough's enough.'"
WEDMAN'S 11-11 PERFORMANCE IN GAME 1 HELPS C'S BURY L'S
Greg Kite scored seven points. Hit three of five shots. Played 10minutes. An afterthought backup center who had spent so much time on the bench during his two-year career with the Celtics that he qualified as a human splinter. Greg Kite.
"Just say it wasn't our day," moaned Magic Johnson, Los Angeles' normally effervescent superhero. "When Greg Kite comes out and can hit three left- handed hooks, you know . . . Incredible. Just incredible."
Translation: Celtics 148, Lakers 114.
Incredible wasn't the word for it. Unprecedented was. Because nobody could have known that the ninth overall renewal - and second straight - of the NBA's longest-running championship serial would open with such record-shattering force.
In obliterating the most potent offensive team in NBA annals, the host Celtics virtually rewrote play-off history. They scored the most points ever in a championship game. They scored the most points ever (79) in a championship first half. Their halftime spread (30) was the largest ever, as was their overall number of field goals (61). Their shooting (60.8 percent) was the most accurate of all time. Their total assists (43) and margin of victory came within one of tying title standards.
Individually, sixth man Scott Wedman surpassed all play-off marksmen with an 11-for-11 shooting performance. And Wedman didn't even begin firing until the score was 52-29 in the second quarter, which in itself constituted yet another, unofficial championship milestone: earliest garbage time ever.
Wedman and Kevin McHale shared scoring honors with 26 points. Robert Parish (18 points, 8 rebounds) made 38-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (12 and 3) look like a senior citizen as The Chief outraced The Goggled One up and down the court, establishing Boston's frenetic tempo.
Taxing credulity further, the Celtics whipped the whippets who were supposed to run them into the ground - or at least the parquet. The defending champions were considered no match for the lightning Lakers, though LA had dropped eight finals to Boston, including the seven-game 1984 classic. "We thought we were a running team last year," said coach K.C. Jones, "until LA got here in that first game (a 115-109 Laker win) and we all got pneumonia because they were going by us so fast."
The latest edition of the Lakers had done nothing to dispel that blurry image. They set a regular-season shooting record (54.5 percent) and simply turned the tempo up a notch (55.7 percent) in the play-offs, during which they flashdanced past Phoenix, Portland and Denver. In those series, LA won 11 of 13 games, running its overall streak to 31 of 35, and averaged 131.2 points. So when the Lakers visited the Garden sweatshop on an 84-degree afternoon for the championship opener, they were rated series favorites. Even LA coach Pat Riley, a man of perspective, couldn't contain his enthusiasm: "This could be the greatest team in Laker history."
Ah, but not so fast, you LA speed demons. "We never got our fast break going," said Laker reserve and former Celtic Bob McAdoo after the Boston bombardment, "because we spent the day pulling the ball out of the nets. Our game is the quick transition. But they turned the tables on us. That was our game they played."
To the hilt. The Celtics pounded LA from the start: "We came out of the corner like Marvin Hagler," said Jones. Boston blazed from a 9-8 deficit to a 26-12 advantage, forcing Riley to call a timeout. By then, three of the Lakers' most reliable shooters - Byron Scott, James Worthy and Jabbar - were a collective 1 for 14 from the floor.
Meanwhile, guard Danny Ainge was scorching Scott with a 7-for-9, 15-point first period on his way to a 19-point afternoon that served as a yardstick for his teammates. "Once one guy starts to hit," said Larry Bird (19 points), "it catches on."
All Scott could do was catch cold against Ainge. The LA guard entered the series on a 57-percent shooting spree, including a 65-percent decimation of Denver. But in the Boston opener, he got throttled (5 for 14).
In general, the Lakers, who shot a dismal 40 percent, stood by as the Celtics kept connecting in the steamy Garden. "It wasn't too hot," Riley said. "The only heat came from that cannon they kept shooting."
That was torridly evident at the start of the second quarter, when the Celtics buried the Lakers with an 11-for-12 roll, good for a 63-34 cushion. After that, it was all gravy.
"They had their day,," said Riley. "Now our reaction has to be: 'OK, enough's enough.'"
WEDMAN'S WAY WAS PAVED
May 29, 1985
WEDMAN'S WAY WAS PAVED
He is a basketball player in silhouette. The sun is setting at an angle behind the backboard, making you wonder how long he has been working and how much longer he is going to stay. There are ovations and excitement in his head, perhaps, but he is alone with the sound and the feel of the ball.
He is a driveway guy. A picture.
"You spent a lot of time like that?" Scott Wedman is asked.
"Oh, yes," he replies.
His basketball is the solitary game. The rural game. There is no blaster box parked on the side of an inner-city playground, no mingling of kids choosing up sides, then fighting to maintain their places on the court. There is a more gentle song here. The ball going through the net again and again. Heavy breathing after driving past imagined defenders. Repetition. The sound of a storm door opening. Someone yelling that supper is on the table.
Roots are roots. They cannot be denied.
"Where'd you grow up?" Scott Wedman is asked.
"A lot of places," he says. "Mostly Colorado, when I was going to high school."
"Colorado?"
"But we always spent our summers at my grandparents' place. They had a big farm."
"Where was that?"
"Kansas."
Kansas. Yes, Kansas. That is the look of the driveway guy's game. Stretches of farmland. Good food. Kansas. He is in the NBA and working in the televised frenzy of these final playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, but traces of Kansas still can be seen. Even in the middle of all that. Kansas. Colorado. Clean air. Room. Jump shots.
The action spins and spins and suddenly Scott Wedman is alone. He goes through the patterned rhythms of all those afternoons, all those mornings, all those days. Jump shots. How far is far? Distance doesn't seem to matter. Nothing seems to matter. The rhythm is there. The stroke is the same. Jump shots.
"In Colorado," he says, "the basket was mounted over the garage door. Every now and then, I'd break a window. My father would come home, find the broken window and ask what happened. I'd tell him I was shooting and I shot one short. He never complained. If I'd been fooling around, maybe thrown a rock through the window, he'd be mad. Playing basketball? There'd be a new window in the morning. Nothing said.
"In the winter, our neighbor would see me when he came home from work," Scott Wedman says. "It would have been snowing and I'd have shoveled off the court. He'd look at me, out there in the driveway, and just shake his head.
"There's something relaxing about shooting a basketball," Scott Wedman says. "It's just you. You don't have to see how you've done. The reward is there if you've done it right. The ball goes through the basket."
He may have had trouble finding a place in the lineup in his three years with the Celtics, his Kansas mostly kept behind Larry Bird's taller and more diversified Indiana, but there never has been a question about the one thing he does best. He is a shooter's shooter. He will shoot jump shots against the world.
The shot has been his athletic passport. The shot. He has an older brother, Mike, "the athlete in the family," who was a pole vaulter and decathlete at the University of Colorado. Mike Wedman went to college on an assembled number of heights and times. Scott Wedman went to the same college on the shot. College and beyond.
"I remember when my brother got an athletic scholarship," the driveway guy says. "My father said, 'Well, that's great. Now we'll only have to pay for Scott's education.' I always have remembered that. I never let my father forget it."
The family was back in Kansas on Monday. Scott Wedman's father now owns a Ford dealership in Harper, Kan., and both sets of grandparents still live in the town. Memorial Day is a traditional family weekend. The Wedmans ran a family reunion at City Park on Sunday. The Clements, on Scott Wedman's mother's side, ran a reunion on Monday. A lot of the same people were at both reunions. The Monday reunion ended early.
"My grandmother invited a lot of people back to the house to watch the game," Scott Wedman says. "She has the satellite dish. There were a lot of people there, and I guess there was a lot of yelling. That's what my father said, anyway, when he called."
The reason for the yelling was obvious. On Monday, the driveway guy's shot worked better than it ever has worked. In the first game of these NBA finals, he took 11 shots and made all 11 in the Celtics' 148-114 win. He was perfect. No one in NBA history ever has done what he did. Eleven shots. Eleven baskets. Four of them from behind the 22-foot, three-point circle. Perfect. A perfect day. Even if you were shooting in your driveway.
"Funny, I was stopped at a light on the way home Monday," Scott Wedman says. "There was a playground and I saw a lot of kids out there, playing basketball. I remembered that. How you'd watch a big game on television, then go out and just play for three hours straight. I remembered that."
"Did you think about going out there to join the kids?" he is asked. "They would have gone crazy."
"You know, I did think about it," he says. "I really did. Maybe next time."
WEDMAN'S WAY WAS PAVED
He is a basketball player in silhouette. The sun is setting at an angle behind the backboard, making you wonder how long he has been working and how much longer he is going to stay. There are ovations and excitement in his head, perhaps, but he is alone with the sound and the feel of the ball.
He is a driveway guy. A picture.
"You spent a lot of time like that?" Scott Wedman is asked.
"Oh, yes," he replies.
His basketball is the solitary game. The rural game. There is no blaster box parked on the side of an inner-city playground, no mingling of kids choosing up sides, then fighting to maintain their places on the court. There is a more gentle song here. The ball going through the net again and again. Heavy breathing after driving past imagined defenders. Repetition. The sound of a storm door opening. Someone yelling that supper is on the table.
Roots are roots. They cannot be denied.
"Where'd you grow up?" Scott Wedman is asked.
"A lot of places," he says. "Mostly Colorado, when I was going to high school."
"Colorado?"
"But we always spent our summers at my grandparents' place. They had a big farm."
"Where was that?"
"Kansas."
Kansas. Yes, Kansas. That is the look of the driveway guy's game. Stretches of farmland. Good food. Kansas. He is in the NBA and working in the televised frenzy of these final playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, but traces of Kansas still can be seen. Even in the middle of all that. Kansas. Colorado. Clean air. Room. Jump shots.
The action spins and spins and suddenly Scott Wedman is alone. He goes through the patterned rhythms of all those afternoons, all those mornings, all those days. Jump shots. How far is far? Distance doesn't seem to matter. Nothing seems to matter. The rhythm is there. The stroke is the same. Jump shots.
"In Colorado," he says, "the basket was mounted over the garage door. Every now and then, I'd break a window. My father would come home, find the broken window and ask what happened. I'd tell him I was shooting and I shot one short. He never complained. If I'd been fooling around, maybe thrown a rock through the window, he'd be mad. Playing basketball? There'd be a new window in the morning. Nothing said.
"In the winter, our neighbor would see me when he came home from work," Scott Wedman says. "It would have been snowing and I'd have shoveled off the court. He'd look at me, out there in the driveway, and just shake his head.
"There's something relaxing about shooting a basketball," Scott Wedman says. "It's just you. You don't have to see how you've done. The reward is there if you've done it right. The ball goes through the basket."
He may have had trouble finding a place in the lineup in his three years with the Celtics, his Kansas mostly kept behind Larry Bird's taller and more diversified Indiana, but there never has been a question about the one thing he does best. He is a shooter's shooter. He will shoot jump shots against the world.
The shot has been his athletic passport. The shot. He has an older brother, Mike, "the athlete in the family," who was a pole vaulter and decathlete at the University of Colorado. Mike Wedman went to college on an assembled number of heights and times. Scott Wedman went to the same college on the shot. College and beyond.
"I remember when my brother got an athletic scholarship," the driveway guy says. "My father said, 'Well, that's great. Now we'll only have to pay for Scott's education.' I always have remembered that. I never let my father forget it."
The family was back in Kansas on Monday. Scott Wedman's father now owns a Ford dealership in Harper, Kan., and both sets of grandparents still live in the town. Memorial Day is a traditional family weekend. The Wedmans ran a family reunion at City Park on Sunday. The Clements, on Scott Wedman's mother's side, ran a reunion on Monday. A lot of the same people were at both reunions. The Monday reunion ended early.
"My grandmother invited a lot of people back to the house to watch the game," Scott Wedman says. "She has the satellite dish. There were a lot of people there, and I guess there was a lot of yelling. That's what my father said, anyway, when he called."
The reason for the yelling was obvious. On Monday, the driveway guy's shot worked better than it ever has worked. In the first game of these NBA finals, he took 11 shots and made all 11 in the Celtics' 148-114 win. He was perfect. No one in NBA history ever has done what he did. Eleven shots. Eleven baskets. Four of them from behind the 22-foot, three-point circle. Perfect. A perfect day. Even if you were shooting in your driveway.
"Funny, I was stopped at a light on the way home Monday," Scott Wedman says. "There was a playground and I saw a lot of kids out there, playing basketball. I remembered that. How you'd watch a big game on television, then go out and just play for three hours straight. I remembered that."
"Did you think about going out there to join the kids?" he is asked. "They would have gone crazy."
"You know, I did think about it," he says. "I really did. Maybe next time."
WEDMAN'S HOT HAND SINKS SUNS
March 14, 1985
WEDMAN'S HOT HAND SINKS SUNS
Special stat teams and hoopology PhDs were flown in for historical perspective, and literary legends were summoned for fresh metaphors and hyperbole.
But none of the above was necessary. One night after the burning of Atlanta, Larry Bird & Co. returned to earth with a methodical, albeit powerful 123-106 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Boston Garden. And folks went home talking not about those wild scoring fools, Bird and Kevin McHale, but about Scott Wedman (19 points, 13 in the fourth quarter).
The Celts led from wire to wire as Bird (31 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists) spread the wealth, and his frontcourt sequoia mates were happy to collect. McHale made his first nine shots, and finished with 25 points. Robert Parish also inflicted some wounds, scoring 22 points with 14 rebounds.
And then there was Wedman. A former All-Star and 10,000-point scorer, Wedman is often a forgotten man on this championship squad. His contributions since coming to Boston two years ago have been sparse, but he's adjusted to his limited role and is starting to look like the man who lit up scoreboards in NBA America from 1975-82.
Wedman's 15-of-24 shooting in the last two games was lost under the tonnage of Bird's and McHale's points, but the reserve forward came off the bench last night and hit nothing but net on four crucial jumpers at the start of the fourth.
"Larry's been going so well and our inside game's been going so well that they kind of laid off me," said Wedman, who has hit 61 percent (23-38) while averaging 16.3 points in his last three games. "That opened it up a bit . . . I went out and hit a couple of shots and got it going and kept looking for it."
Phoenix had trimmed Boston's 13-point first-half lead to 89-87 at the end of three quarters. Then Wedman struck.
His first three jumpers helped push the margin back to six, then Bird stole the ball, and Wedman fed Ray Williams for a hanging lane jumper in traffic. The Celts led, 102-94, with 9:48 left and Phoenix called time to regroup.
Wedman wasn't through, but the Suns were. Another Wedman bomb with 5:51 left made it 109-96. The Celts were safe and when cult hero M.L. Carr made an appearance with three minutes left, it was 115-101.
"We were very concerned about Wedman," Phoenix coach John MacLeod said. "We were aware of his ability when he played for Kansas City and we're still aware of his ability to shoot the ball . . . He's certainly going to help them down the stretch."
Wedman's shooting highlighted the final period, but the start was memorable for Bird's Lindberghesque return to the homeland. On the heels of his 60-point torching in New Orleans Tuesday, Bird was inundated with pregame interview requests from everyone this side of Phyllis George, then received one of the longest introductory standing ovations on record. Toss in a few candles and matches and it would have felt like the prelude to a rock concert.
Sir Larry rewarded the devoted masses, hitting a jumper on his first possession on the 14th second of play. He had six rebounds and four baskets in the first six minutes. Alvin Scott was overmatched.
Playing without Larry Nance (groin pull), the Suns were vulnerable underneath, and Boston's frontcourt torched Phoenix throughout the evening. Bird, McHale and Parish scored 33 in the first quarter and the Celts led, 36-24, after one. Bird had 11 with seven rebounds, while McHale scored 14 and Parish contributed eight.
"We were a little sluggish coming out, so we had to get everything down low," said Bird.
Bird fired the Celts to a 47-34 lead in the second. Phoenix got some inspired play from James Edwards (18) and reserves Charles Pittman (6 of 6) and Charles Jones (19), but couldn't get closer than seven for the rest of the half. Meanwhile, Boston's frontcourt domination continued, and the Celts led, 62-51, at intermission.
The Suns ran off six in a row at the start of the third. Dennis Johnson awoke with four consecutive jumpers, but Phoenix cut Boston's lead to two with 7:28 left in the third. Then Parish picked up his fourth foul. The Suns trimmed it to one before Wedman took over.
WEDMAN'S HOT HAND SINKS SUNS
Special stat teams and hoopology PhDs were flown in for historical perspective, and literary legends were summoned for fresh metaphors and hyperbole.
But none of the above was necessary. One night after the burning of Atlanta, Larry Bird & Co. returned to earth with a methodical, albeit powerful 123-106 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Boston Garden. And folks went home talking not about those wild scoring fools, Bird and Kevin McHale, but about Scott Wedman (19 points, 13 in the fourth quarter).
The Celts led from wire to wire as Bird (31 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists) spread the wealth, and his frontcourt sequoia mates were happy to collect. McHale made his first nine shots, and finished with 25 points. Robert Parish also inflicted some wounds, scoring 22 points with 14 rebounds.
And then there was Wedman. A former All-Star and 10,000-point scorer, Wedman is often a forgotten man on this championship squad. His contributions since coming to Boston two years ago have been sparse, but he's adjusted to his limited role and is starting to look like the man who lit up scoreboards in NBA America from 1975-82.
Wedman's 15-of-24 shooting in the last two games was lost under the tonnage of Bird's and McHale's points, but the reserve forward came off the bench last night and hit nothing but net on four crucial jumpers at the start of the fourth.
"Larry's been going so well and our inside game's been going so well that they kind of laid off me," said Wedman, who has hit 61 percent (23-38) while averaging 16.3 points in his last three games. "That opened it up a bit . . . I went out and hit a couple of shots and got it going and kept looking for it."
Phoenix had trimmed Boston's 13-point first-half lead to 89-87 at the end of three quarters. Then Wedman struck.
His first three jumpers helped push the margin back to six, then Bird stole the ball, and Wedman fed Ray Williams for a hanging lane jumper in traffic. The Celts led, 102-94, with 9:48 left and Phoenix called time to regroup.
Wedman wasn't through, but the Suns were. Another Wedman bomb with 5:51 left made it 109-96. The Celts were safe and when cult hero M.L. Carr made an appearance with three minutes left, it was 115-101.
"We were very concerned about Wedman," Phoenix coach John MacLeod said. "We were aware of his ability when he played for Kansas City and we're still aware of his ability to shoot the ball . . . He's certainly going to help them down the stretch."
Wedman's shooting highlighted the final period, but the start was memorable for Bird's Lindberghesque return to the homeland. On the heels of his 60-point torching in New Orleans Tuesday, Bird was inundated with pregame interview requests from everyone this side of Phyllis George, then received one of the longest introductory standing ovations on record. Toss in a few candles and matches and it would have felt like the prelude to a rock concert.
Sir Larry rewarded the devoted masses, hitting a jumper on his first possession on the 14th second of play. He had six rebounds and four baskets in the first six minutes. Alvin Scott was overmatched.
Playing without Larry Nance (groin pull), the Suns were vulnerable underneath, and Boston's frontcourt torched Phoenix throughout the evening. Bird, McHale and Parish scored 33 in the first quarter and the Celts led, 36-24, after one. Bird had 11 with seven rebounds, while McHale scored 14 and Parish contributed eight.
"We were a little sluggish coming out, so we had to get everything down low," said Bird.
Bird fired the Celts to a 47-34 lead in the second. Phoenix got some inspired play from James Edwards (18) and reserves Charles Pittman (6 of 6) and Charles Jones (19), but couldn't get closer than seven for the rest of the half. Meanwhile, Boston's frontcourt domination continued, and the Celts led, 62-51, at intermission.
The Suns ran off six in a row at the start of the third. Dennis Johnson awoke with four consecutive jumpers, but Phoenix cut Boston's lead to two with 7:28 left in the third. Then Parish picked up his fourth foul. The Suns trimmed it to one before Wedman took over.
BENCH MAKES ITS MARK WITH WEDMAN, RAY WILLIAMS
March 18, 1985
BENCH MAKES ITS MARK WITH WEDMAN, RAY WILLIAMS
After scoring 48 points, the fifth highest total in Celtics regular-season history, Larry Bird said, "Ray Williams had a great game - probably the best of anybody."
Williams had 11 points (on 5-of-9 shooting) with 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in 26 minutes of yesterday's 134-120 victory over the Rockets. Meanwhile, Scott Wedman chipped in with 13 points on 6 of 10 from the floor, and Quinn Buckner had 7 assists in 16 minutes.
Bird: "Everybody in the press said we didn't have a bench, but now I think we're a pretty good team up and down the line."
It's ironic that the Celtics would start to show their depth while Cedric Maxwell is sidelined with a knee injury, but Wedman has played five straight strong games, averaging 15.6 points on 59 percent (37-of-63) shooting, and Buckner has settled into a comfortable role as a fourth guard/defensive specialist. Williams keeps getting better and is a Garden crowd favorite.
"My wind felt really good today," Williams said after his longest stint in 10 games with the Celtics. "Everything is just gradually getting better. My teammates know I'm going to push it up and try to pressure the guards. And they know that if they run and get open, I'll get them the ball."
BENCH MAKES ITS MARK WITH WEDMAN, RAY WILLIAMS
After scoring 48 points, the fifth highest total in Celtics regular-season history, Larry Bird said, "Ray Williams had a great game - probably the best of anybody."
Williams had 11 points (on 5-of-9 shooting) with 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in 26 minutes of yesterday's 134-120 victory over the Rockets. Meanwhile, Scott Wedman chipped in with 13 points on 6 of 10 from the floor, and Quinn Buckner had 7 assists in 16 minutes.
Bird: "Everybody in the press said we didn't have a bench, but now I think we're a pretty good team up and down the line."
It's ironic that the Celtics would start to show their depth while Cedric Maxwell is sidelined with a knee injury, but Wedman has played five straight strong games, averaging 15.6 points on 59 percent (37-of-63) shooting, and Buckner has settled into a comfortable role as a fourth guard/defensive specialist. Williams keeps getting better and is a Garden crowd favorite.
"My wind felt really good today," Williams said after his longest stint in 10 games with the Celtics. "Everything is just gradually getting better. My teammates know I'm going to push it up and try to pressure the guards. And they know that if they run and get open, I'll get them the ball."
Wedman Scorches Former Team Still Paying his Salary
March 16, 1985
Wedman Scorches Former Team Still Paying his Salary
It was just like the glory days of the 1970s. A sellout crowd roared as the revived Cavaliers came out for warmups. The only thing missing was Bingo Smith's cotton candy hair and Bill Fitch's paisley leisure suit.
It's the Miracle of Richfield II. Cav chic is back and they're bracing for Cleveland's first postseason appearance since 1977-78.
Last night, the Celtics came to town to show 'em what the big boys eat. The world champions beat the Cavaliers, 119-96, in front of 20,900 victory-starved crazies at the Richfield Coliseum. It was a shocking reminder that the improved, playoff-bound Cavs are still 14 games under .500 and not ready for prime time.
Larry Bird and Kevin McHale continued their Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig, Phil Esposito/Bobby Orr routine. Bird scored a flawless 35 while McHale contributed 19, all of his in the first 28 minutes. Scott Wedman, the new threat in Boston's Dense Pack frontcourt, had his fourth straight big game, scoring 16 of which 10 were in the second half. Wedman's input is especially galling to Cav management which is still paying half his salary.
Adrenaline carried the Cavs to an early four-point lead. McHale kept the Celts afloat by posting up and over Mark West.
A steal and transition jumper by Bird (10 of 12 for 24 in the first half) put the Celts ahead, 14-13, with 6:44 left in the first. Boston never trailed again.
Scoring 12 points in a four-minute span, Bird made a pair of spectacular teardrop shots off flying drives (one with each hand), then laid one in off the break after Robert Parish blocked Phil Hubbard's shot (Hubbard collapsed in a heap) to give the Celts a 25-17 lead.
McHale and Parish closed the quarter with four free throws and Boston led, 33-25. The Celts outrebounded the Cavs, 19-7, in the period and also took 14 foul shots to Cleveland's two.
Ray Williams and Wedman replaced Danny Ainge and Parish at the start of the second. Wedman continued his torrid shooting, hitting his first three shots and Boston led, 45-33, with 6:26 left in the half.
After a three-point play by Parish gave the Celts a 13-point lead, John Bagley and Roy Hinson (15 in the half) sparked a 7-0 run by the Cavs and Boston called time. The Cavs had cut the lead to six but would never get any closer.
Bird and Dennis Johnson scored all the points in a 10-4 run after the break and the Celts led, 58-46. McHale (12 rebounds in the first half) tapped in an Ainge miss at the buzzer to make it 64-54 at intermission. One sensed the inevitability of a Celtic victory.
The third quarter did nothing to bring hope to the Cleveland crowd. The Cavs played fairly well, but couldn't get closer than nine. McHale was abusing everyone George Karl tried, and Bird tortured Hubbard. A stake-driving three- pointer by Bird made it 81-65 with 6:21 left in the third.
The Cavs kept plugging, and the crowd kept roaring, but Cleveland couldn't gather any steam. Every World B. Free drive was followed by a Wedman jumper or a Parish follow. The Celts led, 90-76, after three.
Wedman hit three more shots early in the fourth and Bird kept the heat on. A transition jumper by Bird with 5:27 left pushed the led to 20 (104-84) and started the exodus of fans who chose not to stick around for the postgame closed circuit telecast of the Larry Holmes-David Bey fight.
Ray-Ray made some nice passes, scored on a tip-in, and converted a three- point play to make it 109-88.
K.C. Jones went to his bench in the final 4 1/2 minutes. M.L. Carr (sore left ankle) who could barely walk earlier in the day, came in and buried his first shot. Carlos Clark, Rick Carlisle and Greg Kite joined Carr and Williams for the final curtain.
Wedman Scorches Former Team Still Paying his Salary
It was just like the glory days of the 1970s. A sellout crowd roared as the revived Cavaliers came out for warmups. The only thing missing was Bingo Smith's cotton candy hair and Bill Fitch's paisley leisure suit.
It's the Miracle of Richfield II. Cav chic is back and they're bracing for Cleveland's first postseason appearance since 1977-78.
Last night, the Celtics came to town to show 'em what the big boys eat. The world champions beat the Cavaliers, 119-96, in front of 20,900 victory-starved crazies at the Richfield Coliseum. It was a shocking reminder that the improved, playoff-bound Cavs are still 14 games under .500 and not ready for prime time.
Larry Bird and Kevin McHale continued their Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig, Phil Esposito/Bobby Orr routine. Bird scored a flawless 35 while McHale contributed 19, all of his in the first 28 minutes. Scott Wedman, the new threat in Boston's Dense Pack frontcourt, had his fourth straight big game, scoring 16 of which 10 were in the second half. Wedman's input is especially galling to Cav management which is still paying half his salary.
Adrenaline carried the Cavs to an early four-point lead. McHale kept the Celts afloat by posting up and over Mark West.
A steal and transition jumper by Bird (10 of 12 for 24 in the first half) put the Celts ahead, 14-13, with 6:44 left in the first. Boston never trailed again.
Scoring 12 points in a four-minute span, Bird made a pair of spectacular teardrop shots off flying drives (one with each hand), then laid one in off the break after Robert Parish blocked Phil Hubbard's shot (Hubbard collapsed in a heap) to give the Celts a 25-17 lead.
McHale and Parish closed the quarter with four free throws and Boston led, 33-25. The Celts outrebounded the Cavs, 19-7, in the period and also took 14 foul shots to Cleveland's two.
Ray Williams and Wedman replaced Danny Ainge and Parish at the start of the second. Wedman continued his torrid shooting, hitting his first three shots and Boston led, 45-33, with 6:26 left in the half.
After a three-point play by Parish gave the Celts a 13-point lead, John Bagley and Roy Hinson (15 in the half) sparked a 7-0 run by the Cavs and Boston called time. The Cavs had cut the lead to six but would never get any closer.
Bird and Dennis Johnson scored all the points in a 10-4 run after the break and the Celts led, 58-46. McHale (12 rebounds in the first half) tapped in an Ainge miss at the buzzer to make it 64-54 at intermission. One sensed the inevitability of a Celtic victory.
The third quarter did nothing to bring hope to the Cleveland crowd. The Cavs played fairly well, but couldn't get closer than nine. McHale was abusing everyone George Karl tried, and Bird tortured Hubbard. A stake-driving three- pointer by Bird made it 81-65 with 6:21 left in the third.
The Cavs kept plugging, and the crowd kept roaring, but Cleveland couldn't gather any steam. Every World B. Free drive was followed by a Wedman jumper or a Parish follow. The Celts led, 90-76, after three.
Wedman hit three more shots early in the fourth and Bird kept the heat on. A transition jumper by Bird with 5:27 left pushed the led to 20 (104-84) and started the exodus of fans who chose not to stick around for the postgame closed circuit telecast of the Larry Holmes-David Bey fight.
Ray-Ray made some nice passes, scored on a tip-in, and converted a three- point play to make it 109-88.
K.C. Jones went to his bench in the final 4 1/2 minutes. M.L. Carr (sore left ankle) who could barely walk earlier in the day, came in and buried his first shot. Carlos Clark, Rick Carlisle and Greg Kite joined Carr and Williams for the final curtain.
WEDMAN SIDELINED FOR REST OF SERIES
June 9, 1984
WEDMAN SIDELINED FOR REST OF SERIES
Celtics forward/guard Scott Wedman has a hairline fracture in his lower left leg and is expected to be lost for the remainder of the championship series.
Wedman was accidentally kneed in the leg early in the second quarter of Wednesday's overtime thriller in Los Angeles. Wedman told assistant coach Chris Ford he thought he was bumped by Michael Cooper. He asked out of the game and was unable to run when K.C. Jones tried him again late in the half. Wedman couldn't put any weight on the leg Thursday and needed a wheelchair to board the flight home from the coast.
Wedman's leg was X-rayed at University Hospital early yesterday. "The X- rays revealed an undisplaced hairline fracture in the proximal end of the fibula," said Dr. Thomas Silva, the team physician. "He's out of the question for tonight and Sunday. We can't make any prediction beyond that."
In the first four games of the finals, Wedman played 73 minutes, shot 46 percent (17 for 37) and grabbed 21 rebounds. He hit the winning basket in Boston's Game 2 overtime victory.
"Scotty has been shooting the ball well, said Ford. "Now we have to rely on Danny (Ainge) and hope Gerald (Henderson) and D.J. are hitting. But our guys will do the job. In the playoffs, you have to overcome injuries to personnel."
Since DJ started guarding Magic Johnson in the second half of Game 4, Magic is 6 of 14 from the floor with nine turnovers and 18 points in six quarters . . . Larry Bird, who complained of dizziness due to the heat, said, "There's always a lot of emotion on our bench, but tonight the guys were helping out by fanning us and cooling us down during timeouts. They knew that was our bread and butter." . . . The Celtics scored 20 points on second shots. LA had 11 on followups. Boston got 22 points off the break to LA's 15. The Lakers did not score a fast-break point in the final quarter . . . Kevin McHale who had hit only 11 of 34 shots in the first three games, responded with five of eight last night . . . LA missed 12 of 35 free throws . . . Robert Parish would not speak to the media after the game. He took off with ex-Warrior Clifford Ray . . . Celebrities in the crowd included Isiah Thomas of the Pistons, Boston Mayor Ray Flynn and Patriots coach Ron Meyer . . . A group of fans behind one basket brought a clothesline, a reminder of Kevin McHale's flying tackle of Kurt Rambis in Game 4 . . . Banner of the night was directed at Laker fan Jack Nicholson, who did not attend: "Jack - Choke On Your Own Coke" . . . The Celtics fly to LA this morning, and will return from Game 6 on a red-eye that arrives Monday morning at 7 . . . Nine of the last 11 NBA championships have been won by road teams.
WEDMAN SIDELINED FOR REST OF SERIES
Celtics forward/guard Scott Wedman has a hairline fracture in his lower left leg and is expected to be lost for the remainder of the championship series.
Wedman was accidentally kneed in the leg early in the second quarter of Wednesday's overtime thriller in Los Angeles. Wedman told assistant coach Chris Ford he thought he was bumped by Michael Cooper. He asked out of the game and was unable to run when K.C. Jones tried him again late in the half. Wedman couldn't put any weight on the leg Thursday and needed a wheelchair to board the flight home from the coast.
Wedman's leg was X-rayed at University Hospital early yesterday. "The X- rays revealed an undisplaced hairline fracture in the proximal end of the fibula," said Dr. Thomas Silva, the team physician. "He's out of the question for tonight and Sunday. We can't make any prediction beyond that."
In the first four games of the finals, Wedman played 73 minutes, shot 46 percent (17 for 37) and grabbed 21 rebounds. He hit the winning basket in Boston's Game 2 overtime victory.
"Scotty has been shooting the ball well, said Ford. "Now we have to rely on Danny (Ainge) and hope Gerald (Henderson) and D.J. are hitting. But our guys will do the job. In the playoffs, you have to overcome injuries to personnel."
Since DJ started guarding Magic Johnson in the second half of Game 4, Magic is 6 of 14 from the floor with nine turnovers and 18 points in six quarters . . . Larry Bird, who complained of dizziness due to the heat, said, "There's always a lot of emotion on our bench, but tonight the guys were helping out by fanning us and cooling us down during timeouts. They knew that was our bread and butter." . . . The Celtics scored 20 points on second shots. LA had 11 on followups. Boston got 22 points off the break to LA's 15. The Lakers did not score a fast-break point in the final quarter . . . Kevin McHale who had hit only 11 of 34 shots in the first three games, responded with five of eight last night . . . LA missed 12 of 35 free throws . . . Robert Parish would not speak to the media after the game. He took off with ex-Warrior Clifford Ray . . . Celebrities in the crowd included Isiah Thomas of the Pistons, Boston Mayor Ray Flynn and Patriots coach Ron Meyer . . . A group of fans behind one basket brought a clothesline, a reminder of Kevin McHale's flying tackle of Kurt Rambis in Game 4 . . . Banner of the night was directed at Laker fan Jack Nicholson, who did not attend: "Jack - Choke On Your Own Coke" . . . The Celtics fly to LA this morning, and will return from Game 6 on a red-eye that arrives Monday morning at 7 . . . Nine of the last 11 NBA championships have been won by road teams.
Wedman's Contribution Overshadowed by Henderson Steal
June 1, 1984
Wedman's Contribution Overshadowed by Henderson Steal
Let it rain. The Celtics are going to postpone summer a little longer. After four days of listening to theories about Laker supremacy and whispers of a sweep, Boston has served notice that some extra frequent-flyer miles will be compiled before this NBA championship series is over.
Last night was gut-check time, and when the midnight confessions had all been heard, the Celtics had beaten the Lakers, 124-121, in overtime. The win tied the best-of-seven series, 1-1, and sent a frenetic Garden crowd into the street for an early-morning celebration.
The Celtics had more heroes than a Philadelphia deli. There was Gerald Henderson, who forced the extra innings with Boston's most dramatic theft since John "Havlicek stole the ball" in 1965. There was Scott Wedman, who hit the key jumper in overtime. And there was Robert Parish, who stripped the ball from Bob McAdoo when LA blew its final chance.
A big assist went to Magic Johnson, who specializes in assists, although not of this kind. In a variation of the bonehead play executed by Dallas' Derek Harper last month, Magic dribbled out the clock when the Lakers had a chance to win it in regulation.
Let's start with the finish. Cuckoo Man Jack Nicholson was mercilessly taunting Celtics fans when his Lakers held a one-point lead and the basketball with 45 seconds left in overtime.
After a timeout, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (20 points, but only 9 of 22 from the floor) missed a hook and firestarter James Worthy (29 points on 11-of-12 shooting from the field) was tagged with a non-shooting foul while going for the rebound.
Down by one point with 25 seconds left, the Celtics called time.
Larry Bird (27 points, 13 rebounds and what else is new?) inbounded from midcourt, then wound up with the ball at the right of the key. He passed out top to Henderson, who fed Wedman in the left corner. It was a shot Scott Wedman has probably taken 10,000 times in his hoop life. It never meant more. Wedman's 13-foot fling hit nothing but net.
"You know what they put you in there for," said Wedman, who scored 10 off the pine. "If the opportunity comes, you've got to want to take the shot."
The Celtics led, 122-121, with 14 seconds left. Timeout. Again.
A wild sequence took place when LA inbounded. First, Parish knocked the ball away from Abdul-Jabbar. In the scramble, the ball bounced out of bounds off Bird's foot. LA inbounded again, and this time Parish stripped it from McAdoo. Bird ended up with the ball and was fouled. He made both with two seconds left and it was 124-121.
"I thought I was fouled," said McAdoo. "I saw Robert and I was going to try to take it to the basket. I got raked across the arm, but no call was made. That was the ballgame, but we should have never let it get to that point. We gave it to em."
With :02 showing, McAdoo threw a floor-length pass that touched no one before it flew out of bounds. Then Bird inbounded to Cedric Maxwell and the buzzer sounded.
When folks tell their grandchildren about this game, the end of regulation may be the most memorable aspect.
A collective groan could be heard from Portland to Providence when Kevin McHale missed two free throws with 20 seconds left and the Celtics trailing by two. But just as Havlicek saved Bill Russell (who had lost the ball off a wire support), Henderson knocked the goat-horns off McHale's crown.
Magic (27 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists) had called time after catching McHale's second miss. After the pause, he inbounded to Worthy. Maxwell (16 points and 12 rebounds) blanketed Magic. Worthy saw teammate Byron Scott on the other side of the floor, but his lob was picked off by Henderson. Henderson took it right to the hoop for two and it was 113-113 with 13 seconds left.
"We were trying to get time off the clock," said Worthy. "I wanted to get the ball to Magic, but he was covered. I saw Byron wide open. But Henderson was quick enough to double back. It wasn't a real zip pass. Henderson made a good play."
"Maxwell did a good job denying Magic the ball," said Henderson. "Worthy sort of lofted the ball to Scott, and I came in for the steal. No question I was thinking steal in that situation. Somebody had to get it. If we'd lost this one, things would have looked kind of dim."
The Derek Harper Special was next. Ironically, Magic is the man who was guarding Harper when the Dallas rookie dribbled out the clock, thinking his team was ahead instead of tied.
Magic knew the score, but he couldn't get the ball to Kareem. After dribling near the three-point line for several seconds, he passed to McAdoo as time expired. Overtime.
"I would rather hold it and take our chances in overtime than throw it in and have them steal it," reasoned Magic.
"We wanted to get the last shot," echoed LA coach Pat Riley. "We didn't want them to have any opportunity. The idea was to get the clock down to six or five seconds and let him go. It didn't work, but their press had more to do with it than our inability to get a shot."
The first 47 minutes had faded into oblivion by the time midnight struck.
With considerable help off the bench from Danny Ainge (12 points), Boston bolted to a 13-point first-half lead. Late in the period, however, the Lakers ripped off one of those 13-2 blowtorchings that can dishearten any team. Boston's lead was down to 61-59 at intermission.
The Celtics pushed their lead to 76-69 in the third before LA fought back again. Worthy started breaking and when Michael Cooper capped an 11-2 run (and it was a run) with a give-and-go layup and another fast break, LA led, 85-82. Worthy and Cooper had scored all 11 points.
Bird, who missed seven of his first eight shots in the second half, put the Celtics back in the lead and Ainge hit a pair of transition jumpers to give the Celtics a 90-87 lead after three. Everything from there led to McHale's misses - and Henderson's steal.
Wedman's Contribution Overshadowed by Henderson Steal
Let it rain. The Celtics are going to postpone summer a little longer. After four days of listening to theories about Laker supremacy and whispers of a sweep, Boston has served notice that some extra frequent-flyer miles will be compiled before this NBA championship series is over.
Last night was gut-check time, and when the midnight confessions had all been heard, the Celtics had beaten the Lakers, 124-121, in overtime. The win tied the best-of-seven series, 1-1, and sent a frenetic Garden crowd into the street for an early-morning celebration.
The Celtics had more heroes than a Philadelphia deli. There was Gerald Henderson, who forced the extra innings with Boston's most dramatic theft since John "Havlicek stole the ball" in 1965. There was Scott Wedman, who hit the key jumper in overtime. And there was Robert Parish, who stripped the ball from Bob McAdoo when LA blew its final chance.
A big assist went to Magic Johnson, who specializes in assists, although not of this kind. In a variation of the bonehead play executed by Dallas' Derek Harper last month, Magic dribbled out the clock when the Lakers had a chance to win it in regulation.
Let's start with the finish. Cuckoo Man Jack Nicholson was mercilessly taunting Celtics fans when his Lakers held a one-point lead and the basketball with 45 seconds left in overtime.
After a timeout, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (20 points, but only 9 of 22 from the floor) missed a hook and firestarter James Worthy (29 points on 11-of-12 shooting from the field) was tagged with a non-shooting foul while going for the rebound.
Down by one point with 25 seconds left, the Celtics called time.
Larry Bird (27 points, 13 rebounds and what else is new?) inbounded from midcourt, then wound up with the ball at the right of the key. He passed out top to Henderson, who fed Wedman in the left corner. It was a shot Scott Wedman has probably taken 10,000 times in his hoop life. It never meant more. Wedman's 13-foot fling hit nothing but net.
"You know what they put you in there for," said Wedman, who scored 10 off the pine. "If the opportunity comes, you've got to want to take the shot."
The Celtics led, 122-121, with 14 seconds left. Timeout. Again.
A wild sequence took place when LA inbounded. First, Parish knocked the ball away from Abdul-Jabbar. In the scramble, the ball bounced out of bounds off Bird's foot. LA inbounded again, and this time Parish stripped it from McAdoo. Bird ended up with the ball and was fouled. He made both with two seconds left and it was 124-121.
"I thought I was fouled," said McAdoo. "I saw Robert and I was going to try to take it to the basket. I got raked across the arm, but no call was made. That was the ballgame, but we should have never let it get to that point. We gave it to em."
With :02 showing, McAdoo threw a floor-length pass that touched no one before it flew out of bounds. Then Bird inbounded to Cedric Maxwell and the buzzer sounded.
When folks tell their grandchildren about this game, the end of regulation may be the most memorable aspect.
A collective groan could be heard from Portland to Providence when Kevin McHale missed two free throws with 20 seconds left and the Celtics trailing by two. But just as Havlicek saved Bill Russell (who had lost the ball off a wire support), Henderson knocked the goat-horns off McHale's crown.
Magic (27 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists) had called time after catching McHale's second miss. After the pause, he inbounded to Worthy. Maxwell (16 points and 12 rebounds) blanketed Magic. Worthy saw teammate Byron Scott on the other side of the floor, but his lob was picked off by Henderson. Henderson took it right to the hoop for two and it was 113-113 with 13 seconds left.
"We were trying to get time off the clock," said Worthy. "I wanted to get the ball to Magic, but he was covered. I saw Byron wide open. But Henderson was quick enough to double back. It wasn't a real zip pass. Henderson made a good play."
"Maxwell did a good job denying Magic the ball," said Henderson. "Worthy sort of lofted the ball to Scott, and I came in for the steal. No question I was thinking steal in that situation. Somebody had to get it. If we'd lost this one, things would have looked kind of dim."
The Derek Harper Special was next. Ironically, Magic is the man who was guarding Harper when the Dallas rookie dribbled out the clock, thinking his team was ahead instead of tied.
Magic knew the score, but he couldn't get the ball to Kareem. After dribling near the three-point line for several seconds, he passed to McAdoo as time expired. Overtime.
"I would rather hold it and take our chances in overtime than throw it in and have them steal it," reasoned Magic.
"We wanted to get the last shot," echoed LA coach Pat Riley. "We didn't want them to have any opportunity. The idea was to get the clock down to six or five seconds and let him go. It didn't work, but their press had more to do with it than our inability to get a shot."
The first 47 minutes had faded into oblivion by the time midnight struck.
With considerable help off the bench from Danny Ainge (12 points), Boston bolted to a 13-point first-half lead. Late in the period, however, the Lakers ripped off one of those 13-2 blowtorchings that can dishearten any team. Boston's lead was down to 61-59 at intermission.
The Celtics pushed their lead to 76-69 in the third before LA fought back again. Worthy started breaking and when Michael Cooper capped an 11-2 run (and it was a run) with a give-and-go layup and another fast break, LA led, 85-82. Worthy and Cooper had scored all 11 points.
Bird, who missed seven of his first eight shots in the second half, put the Celtics back in the lead and Ainge hit a pair of transition jumpers to give the Celtics a 90-87 lead after three. Everything from there led to McHale's misses - and Henderson's steal.
AINGE, WEDMAN: IN-YOUR-FACE VALUE
June 1, 1984
AINGE, WEDMAN: IN-YOUR-FACE VALUE
A Wall Street type thinker might not consider either Danny Ainge or Scott Wedman prudent long-term investments, but for at least one playoff game the Celtics were able to forget about how much more they have always expected from either of these two oft-frustrated athletes.
The fact is that without their contributions last night the Celtics could not have defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, by any score. There has been perpetual yelping during the last several years over the Celtics' desperate need for some outside shooting to balance their famed inside game. In this vital 124-121 overtime triumph over LA, Messrs. Ainge and Wedman provided that marksmanship.
Ainge bunched his six field goals in two key Celtic runs, the first four coming in the first half and the other two at the end of the third period, after the Lakers had taken their first lead of the night. Most were in transitions, beautiful stop-and-poppers that passed softly through the net. It was the Danny Ainge of the UCLA massacre, as well as the Danny Ainge for whom the Celtics went to trial with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Danny Ainge in whom they have invested a lot of money.
Wedman, whose year-and-a-half Celtic tenure has been extremely unsatisfying for all parties, added five field goals, including the biggest of the game, a 13-footer from the left baseline with 14 seconds remaining in OT that merely gave Boston the victory.
Wedman was one half of an offense-defense shuttle with Cedric Maxwell at the time, and when he received the ball he didn't hesitate. "We had played great defense," said LA coach Pat Riley. "We had doubled on (Larry) Bird to make him give up the ball. We made the next guy (Gerald Henderson) give it up. Finally it went to Wedman, and he buried it.
"I've always respected Scott," Riley continued. "He's a smart veteran player. He sat most of the year, but he had the presence of mind and the attitude to give his team help when caled upon. A lot of guys can't do that."
It was the precise sort of contribution envisioned when the Celtics acquired Wedman from the Cavaliers a year ago January. It's not as if Wedman, a one-time All-Star, was some sort of NBA secret weapon.
"We wondered what the Celtics were doing at the time," said Jamaal Wilkes. "Bird hadn't yet signed his new deal, so possibly they wanted Scott as some kind of insurance. That's pretty heavy insurance."
This is true. Wedman was making over $800,000 when he came here, and that's serious money (even if a lot of it is being paid by the other team) for a man who can't scare up too many minutes of playing time on a team with Bird, Maxwell and Kevin McHale at the forward slot.
As for Ainge, this has not exactly been the Year of the (Ex)-Cougar, either. It was assumed in some circles that Ainge would benefit greatly by the Celtics' coaching change, but instead he lost his starting job - however ceremonial it was - and played no larger role under K.C. Jones than he had under Bill Fitch. His playoff function has been that of a subordinate who gives regulars a quick blow.
But when he entered the game last night he was ready. He connected on his first three shots as the Celtics were expanding their lead to as many as 13 (33-20, 35-22), as he stayed on the floor long enough to stick in another second-period jumper. It was a scene reminiscent of the famous Milwaukee Game 2 of a year ago when he went insane during the first half.
It's obvious Ainge feels his big problem is simply playing time. "I always feel I can shoot," he said with a shrug. "Tonight I hit my first couple so I was able to stay in there a little longer. He (K.C.) didn't feel he had to go to anybody else."
Of course, every player who has ever lived feels his only need is some more "PT." And there are always people moaning about Wedman's lack of playing time.
"Yes," said Riley, "they found something to do with him at a very appropriate time, didn't they?"
AINGE, WEDMAN: IN-YOUR-FACE VALUE
A Wall Street type thinker might not consider either Danny Ainge or Scott Wedman prudent long-term investments, but for at least one playoff game the Celtics were able to forget about how much more they have always expected from either of these two oft-frustrated athletes.
The fact is that without their contributions last night the Celtics could not have defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, by any score. There has been perpetual yelping during the last several years over the Celtics' desperate need for some outside shooting to balance their famed inside game. In this vital 124-121 overtime triumph over LA, Messrs. Ainge and Wedman provided that marksmanship.
Ainge bunched his six field goals in two key Celtic runs, the first four coming in the first half and the other two at the end of the third period, after the Lakers had taken their first lead of the night. Most were in transitions, beautiful stop-and-poppers that passed softly through the net. It was the Danny Ainge of the UCLA massacre, as well as the Danny Ainge for whom the Celtics went to trial with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Danny Ainge in whom they have invested a lot of money.
Wedman, whose year-and-a-half Celtic tenure has been extremely unsatisfying for all parties, added five field goals, including the biggest of the game, a 13-footer from the left baseline with 14 seconds remaining in OT that merely gave Boston the victory.
Wedman was one half of an offense-defense shuttle with Cedric Maxwell at the time, and when he received the ball he didn't hesitate. "We had played great defense," said LA coach Pat Riley. "We had doubled on (Larry) Bird to make him give up the ball. We made the next guy (Gerald Henderson) give it up. Finally it went to Wedman, and he buried it.
"I've always respected Scott," Riley continued. "He's a smart veteran player. He sat most of the year, but he had the presence of mind and the attitude to give his team help when caled upon. A lot of guys can't do that."
It was the precise sort of contribution envisioned when the Celtics acquired Wedman from the Cavaliers a year ago January. It's not as if Wedman, a one-time All-Star, was some sort of NBA secret weapon.
"We wondered what the Celtics were doing at the time," said Jamaal Wilkes. "Bird hadn't yet signed his new deal, so possibly they wanted Scott as some kind of insurance. That's pretty heavy insurance."
This is true. Wedman was making over $800,000 when he came here, and that's serious money (even if a lot of it is being paid by the other team) for a man who can't scare up too many minutes of playing time on a team with Bird, Maxwell and Kevin McHale at the forward slot.
As for Ainge, this has not exactly been the Year of the (Ex)-Cougar, either. It was assumed in some circles that Ainge would benefit greatly by the Celtics' coaching change, but instead he lost his starting job - however ceremonial it was - and played no larger role under K.C. Jones than he had under Bill Fitch. His playoff function has been that of a subordinate who gives regulars a quick blow.
But when he entered the game last night he was ready. He connected on his first three shots as the Celtics were expanding their lead to as many as 13 (33-20, 35-22), as he stayed on the floor long enough to stick in another second-period jumper. It was a scene reminiscent of the famous Milwaukee Game 2 of a year ago when he went insane during the first half.
It's obvious Ainge feels his big problem is simply playing time. "I always feel I can shoot," he said with a shrug. "Tonight I hit my first couple so I was able to stay in there a little longer. He (K.C.) didn't feel he had to go to anybody else."
Of course, every player who has ever lived feels his only need is some more "PT." And there are always people moaning about Wedman's lack of playing time.
"Yes," said Riley, "they found something to do with him at a very appropriate time, didn't they?"
An Ainge, Wedman Backcourt Lead C's to Victory
March 17, 1984
Ainge, Wedman Backcourt Lead C's to Victory
You could dismiss it by saying that it was played in Boston Garden against the NBA's answer to "On Golden Pond," but for Celtics fans, there was something very encouraging about last night's 109-99 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Celtics took charge down the stretch, overcame a big chill (six points) performance by Robert Parish, and discovered white lightning in the backcourt.
Larry Bird scored 28 and Dennis Johnson came through with 22, but let the record show that this game was won when the unlikely backcourt duo of Scott Wedman and Danny Ainge took over in the fourth quarter.
"We got very large help from Wedman and Danny Ainge," said coach K.C. Jones. "Somebody on the squad of 12 men had to come in and pick up the action. Danny and Scott did that for us tonight."
Early in the final quarter, Junior Bridgeman tied the game for the last time - 81-81. Then Wedman and Ainge put it away with a 9-2 run.
Wedman got it going with a fast-break banker off a feed from Ainge. After Sidney Moncrief (only 14 points) missed a layup, Aingecanned an 18-footer from the right sideline.
Bob Lanier (18) scored for the Bucks, and Milwaukee got the ball back on a Paul Pressey steal. When Marques Johnson (26) lost it out of bounds on a drive to the basket, Bird took advantage of the quick inbounds rule, feeding Wedman for a sneakaway. Then Wedman stole a Pressey pass and Ainge buried a three- pointer from the left corner.
Boston led, 90-83, Don Nelson called time and the Garden exploded.
"I think it was our defense that did it for us," said Ainge, who finished with nine points and hit four of six from the floor. "Scott and I had the open shots and they were going down for us, but the defense created the openings."
"When you get in and hit a couple, you're looking for it more than you would at first," added Wedman, who scored 13 on six for nine. "I thought we got rolling pretty well. We got some off the break and then went outside. Maybe they weren't looking for us as much from the outside."
After the Ainge-Wedman torch job, Marques (26) closed the gap to four (99-95) with 2:48 left. Milwaukee couldn't get any closer. Bird (12 rebounds and five assists) pushed it back to six with a lefthander in the lane. When Marques lost the ball on a drive to the basket, Cedric Maxwell found Bird open underneath and it was 103-95 with 2:04 left. After another Buck timeout, Bridgeman tossed up an airball, and DJ canned one from the left corner to seal it for the Celts.
"That was serious," said a smiling DJ. "I kept my hand up and everything."
DJ was Boston's highest-scoring guard, but Ainge and Wedman were the toast of the postgame celebration. Both have been silent lately. Ainge had played only 15 minutes and scored two points in the last four games. Wedman had yet to score more than 10 in games other than the ones Bird missed with injuries. They played more last night because of Gerald Henderson's calf injury (he kept the streak going with seven minutes in the first quarter) and Jones' thirst for experimentation.
"Danny handled the ball well and shot with authority," said Jones. "And I feel confident with Wedman at guard. He needs this type of work, both physically and mentally, to get into shape for the playoffs. And we need his outside shooting."
"It doesn't surprise me that Scott Wedman is able to make a jump shot," said Nelson. "He's very good at that."
The victory was Boston's fourth in five tries against Milwaukee and improved Boston's record against the Central Division to a phenomenal 24-2.
The Celtics play in Atlanta tonight (Ch. 4, 8).
Ainge, Wedman Backcourt Lead C's to Victory
You could dismiss it by saying that it was played in Boston Garden against the NBA's answer to "On Golden Pond," but for Celtics fans, there was something very encouraging about last night's 109-99 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Celtics took charge down the stretch, overcame a big chill (six points) performance by Robert Parish, and discovered white lightning in the backcourt.
Larry Bird scored 28 and Dennis Johnson came through with 22, but let the record show that this game was won when the unlikely backcourt duo of Scott Wedman and Danny Ainge took over in the fourth quarter.
"We got very large help from Wedman and Danny Ainge," said coach K.C. Jones. "Somebody on the squad of 12 men had to come in and pick up the action. Danny and Scott did that for us tonight."
Early in the final quarter, Junior Bridgeman tied the game for the last time - 81-81. Then Wedman and Ainge put it away with a 9-2 run.
Wedman got it going with a fast-break banker off a feed from Ainge. After Sidney Moncrief (only 14 points) missed a layup, Aingecanned an 18-footer from the right sideline.
Bob Lanier (18) scored for the Bucks, and Milwaukee got the ball back on a Paul Pressey steal. When Marques Johnson (26) lost it out of bounds on a drive to the basket, Bird took advantage of the quick inbounds rule, feeding Wedman for a sneakaway. Then Wedman stole a Pressey pass and Ainge buried a three- pointer from the left corner.
Boston led, 90-83, Don Nelson called time and the Garden exploded.
"I think it was our defense that did it for us," said Ainge, who finished with nine points and hit four of six from the floor. "Scott and I had the open shots and they were going down for us, but the defense created the openings."
"When you get in and hit a couple, you're looking for it more than you would at first," added Wedman, who scored 13 on six for nine. "I thought we got rolling pretty well. We got some off the break and then went outside. Maybe they weren't looking for us as much from the outside."
After the Ainge-Wedman torch job, Marques (26) closed the gap to four (99-95) with 2:48 left. Milwaukee couldn't get any closer. Bird (12 rebounds and five assists) pushed it back to six with a lefthander in the lane. When Marques lost the ball on a drive to the basket, Cedric Maxwell found Bird open underneath and it was 103-95 with 2:04 left. After another Buck timeout, Bridgeman tossed up an airball, and DJ canned one from the left corner to seal it for the Celts.
"That was serious," said a smiling DJ. "I kept my hand up and everything."
DJ was Boston's highest-scoring guard, but Ainge and Wedman were the toast of the postgame celebration. Both have been silent lately. Ainge had played only 15 minutes and scored two points in the last four games. Wedman had yet to score more than 10 in games other than the ones Bird missed with injuries. They played more last night because of Gerald Henderson's calf injury (he kept the streak going with seven minutes in the first quarter) and Jones' thirst for experimentation.
"Danny handled the ball well and shot with authority," said Jones. "And I feel confident with Wedman at guard. He needs this type of work, both physically and mentally, to get into shape for the playoffs. And we need his outside shooting."
"It doesn't surprise me that Scott Wedman is able to make a jump shot," said Nelson. "He's very good at that."
The victory was Boston's fourth in five tries against Milwaukee and improved Boston's record against the Central Division to a phenomenal 24-2.
The Celtics play in Atlanta tonight (Ch. 4, 8).
WEDMAN FINDS PLACE IN CELTICS' SCHEME
December 12, 1983
WEDMAN FINDS PLACE IN CELTICS' SCHEME
He is still trying to get the knack of his new role, so naturally Scott Wedman wasn't pleased Saturday night when he missed his first three shots against the Atlanta Hawks.
But he made six of his next seven and wound up with 16 points in Boston's 104-87 victory, and anybody who doesn't recognize why the Celtics consider him so valuable hasn't been listening to coach K. C. Jones lately.
"I've been telling people he's just a hell of a guy to have on the team," said Jones, whoseCeltics are the NBA's hottest team, winning eight of their last nine. "The man is a tremendous shooter, and it's something that a man of his caliber can't find more minutes in a game. Most guys in that situation would be griping and complaining. But Scott has accepted the challenge and comes out shooting whenever we ask him. He's a hard worker."
Wedman has been waiting in the wings, principally because he is a shooting forward behind Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell. Wedman's role is not suited to a player with a big ego or little patience. A nine-year veteran, Wedman possesses Bird-like qualities, and when he played for Kansas City he was often compared to John Havlicek for his ability to get open by moving well without the ball.
But not until Bird went down with a knee injury over the weekend did Wedman start doing the things his teammates expect. Wedman came through with 15 points in 23 minutes against Denver Friday night and played 19 minutes against the Hawks. He had averaged 8.2 minutes and 2.4 points in the season's first 21 games.
"It's different," said Wedman of his new role, "especially after you've played a lot of minutes for several years. If Larry had been around and I'd missed those three shots, I might have been looking over my shoulder. But luckily, I got to stay in, and the shots began to go in.
"I think I've worked harder this year than any other because I know I have to be ready when I get in there. One of the hardest things to do is to come off the bench shooting, but that's my job. I spend a lot of time with my shootingpartner (Gerald) Henderson working on just that."
The injury to Bird not only gave Wedman a chance to play, but it reminded the Celtics that winning is a team effort.
"When we were winning nine in a row (earlier this season)," Wedman said, "we played the same way as we played against Denver and Atlanta. But we all looked to Bird because he is such a fantastic player. When he's out, we look to each other, and if we move the ball and play with patience, we seem to play pretty well."
Wedman added that there is no animosity between he and Bird, since no one has to tell him about Bird's talents.
"He's just great," said Wedman. "And he doesn't let up on anybody. When I'm guarding him, he's on me to play better defense. He plays hard all the time, and you learn to do so, too."
Bird was examined Saturday by Dr. Robert Leach and advised to take it easy, according to trainer Ray Melchoirre. His injury is still being described as strained ligaments in the right knee, and Bird hopes to practice today when the club works out at Hellenic College. "He'll be examined by Dr. Leach again before practice," said Melchiorre, "and we'll know more then." . . . Jones was still not happy with the Celtics' offense, which had 27 turnovers against the Hawks. He was pleased with the Celtics' 48-25 rebounding domination, led by Robert Parish, who also had a game-high 24 points . . . The Celtics looked poised and polished against the Hawks' trapping defenses, and several players gave credit to "Magic" Maxwell for his ability to break the press by dribbling up the wings. Maxwell also had six assists and four steals . . . Boston is 8-4 on the road and 9-2 at home, including one game at Hartford . . . Rhode Island product Sly Williams, out with a thumb injury, said he hopes to rejoin the Hawks tomorrow night, with Scott Hastings likely to replace him on the injured list . . . One bright spot for the Hawks against the Celtics was rookie Glenn (Doc) Rivers, who had eight assists and four steals . . . Seven of the Hawks' 10 steals came in the third quarter, when Atlanta wiped out an 11-point deficit.
WEDMAN FINDS PLACE IN CELTICS' SCHEME
He is still trying to get the knack of his new role, so naturally Scott Wedman wasn't pleased Saturday night when he missed his first three shots against the Atlanta Hawks.
But he made six of his next seven and wound up with 16 points in Boston's 104-87 victory, and anybody who doesn't recognize why the Celtics consider him so valuable hasn't been listening to coach K. C. Jones lately.
"I've been telling people he's just a hell of a guy to have on the team," said Jones, whoseCeltics are the NBA's hottest team, winning eight of their last nine. "The man is a tremendous shooter, and it's something that a man of his caliber can't find more minutes in a game. Most guys in that situation would be griping and complaining. But Scott has accepted the challenge and comes out shooting whenever we ask him. He's a hard worker."
Wedman has been waiting in the wings, principally because he is a shooting forward behind Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell. Wedman's role is not suited to a player with a big ego or little patience. A nine-year veteran, Wedman possesses Bird-like qualities, and when he played for Kansas City he was often compared to John Havlicek for his ability to get open by moving well without the ball.
But not until Bird went down with a knee injury over the weekend did Wedman start doing the things his teammates expect. Wedman came through with 15 points in 23 minutes against Denver Friday night and played 19 minutes against the Hawks. He had averaged 8.2 minutes and 2.4 points in the season's first 21 games.
"It's different," said Wedman of his new role, "especially after you've played a lot of minutes for several years. If Larry had been around and I'd missed those three shots, I might have been looking over my shoulder. But luckily, I got to stay in, and the shots began to go in.
"I think I've worked harder this year than any other because I know I have to be ready when I get in there. One of the hardest things to do is to come off the bench shooting, but that's my job. I spend a lot of time with my shootingpartner (Gerald) Henderson working on just that."
The injury to Bird not only gave Wedman a chance to play, but it reminded the Celtics that winning is a team effort.
"When we were winning nine in a row (earlier this season)," Wedman said, "we played the same way as we played against Denver and Atlanta. But we all looked to Bird because he is such a fantastic player. When he's out, we look to each other, and if we move the ball and play with patience, we seem to play pretty well."
Wedman added that there is no animosity between he and Bird, since no one has to tell him about Bird's talents.
"He's just great," said Wedman. "And he doesn't let up on anybody. When I'm guarding him, he's on me to play better defense. He plays hard all the time, and you learn to do so, too."
Bird was examined Saturday by Dr. Robert Leach and advised to take it easy, according to trainer Ray Melchoirre. His injury is still being described as strained ligaments in the right knee, and Bird hopes to practice today when the club works out at Hellenic College. "He'll be examined by Dr. Leach again before practice," said Melchiorre, "and we'll know more then." . . . Jones was still not happy with the Celtics' offense, which had 27 turnovers against the Hawks. He was pleased with the Celtics' 48-25 rebounding domination, led by Robert Parish, who also had a game-high 24 points . . . The Celtics looked poised and polished against the Hawks' trapping defenses, and several players gave credit to "Magic" Maxwell for his ability to break the press by dribbling up the wings. Maxwell also had six assists and four steals . . . Boston is 8-4 on the road and 9-2 at home, including one game at Hartford . . . Rhode Island product Sly Williams, out with a thumb injury, said he hopes to rejoin the Hawks tomorrow night, with Scott Hastings likely to replace him on the injured list . . . One bright spot for the Hawks against the Celtics was rookie Glenn (Doc) Rivers, who had eight assists and four steals . . . Seven of the Hawks' 10 steals came in the third quarter, when Atlanta wiped out an 11-point deficit.
ONLY A MATTER OF MINUTES FOR WEDMAN
October 18, 1983
IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF MINUTES WEDMAN READY TO HELP; JONES WILL GIVE HIM THE CHANCE
He was an extra piece of cord wood stacked against the kitchen wall. He was hot fudge you didn't need on top of your favorite ice cream.
When the Celtics acquired Scott Wedman last January, the league-wide question was, "What are they going to do with him?"
The answer turned out to be, "Nothing." As the Celtics staggered and snarled toward their stunning no-show sweep in Milwaukee, Wedman pined away on the end of the bench wondering why Boston had bothered to trade for him.
It was an unusual situation for Wedman, a nine-year veteran, former All- Star, and scorer of more than 10,000 NBA points. Sitting on the end of the bench, he began to wonder about his own abilities. Were the Celtics so deep that they didn't need him, or was he not good enough to contribute to this talent-laden team?
"(The doubt) was there for a while, but I did get over it," said Wedman. "I realized I was playing behind one of the best players in basketball (Larry Bird). After a while, I didn't leave much room for self-doubt."
"He didn't get a chance to play," says new Celtic coach K.C. Jones. "Any time a good player sits and only gets a minute or two, his game suffers."
It appears that the Celtics are planning on getting a lot more out of Wedman this year.
The 31-year-old forward has averaged 20 minutes of precious floor time in Boston's first five exhibition games. He's responded by hitting 50 percent from the floor (22 for 44) and 83 percent from the foul line (10 for 12). He had 18 points and received a warm ovation from the Garden fight fans during Sunday's slugfest against the Sixers.
"It's mainly just that I'm playing more," said Wedman. "I came to camp in good shape. I played a lot more this summer than I have in the past. I just want to play. The coaches can decide roles and minutes. I understand that my main contribution is scoring, but I think I can contribute in a lot of different ways."
Jones said, "I talked with Scott briefly on the road and asked him what he thought he could do and he said he thought he could come into games and give us instant offense. When you're a shooter like he is, you should think shoot first and pass second.
"I intend to use him more than we did last year. He gives us another weapon. When I see him go up for a shot, I get a good feeling. It's like you know the ball is going in."
The 6-foot-7 Wedman is a lifetime .483 shooter who has averaged 15.5 points a game since coming into the league with Kansas City in 1974. He is capable of playing in the backcourt, but helps most as a shooting forward. Since Bird is Boston's shooting forward and generally plays 40 to 45 minutes a night, Wedman is easily buried.
"Getting minutes is a problem and it's going to be a problem for Scott," said Jones. "But I'm sure there's a way I can work out something new."
Wedman sounds ready for the challenge. "You have to prove yourself every day with this team," he says. "There's so much talent here that you know if you don't perform well every day, there's someone standing behind you ready to step in."
IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF MINUTES WEDMAN READY TO HELP; JONES WILL GIVE HIM THE CHANCE
He was an extra piece of cord wood stacked against the kitchen wall. He was hot fudge you didn't need on top of your favorite ice cream.
When the Celtics acquired Scott Wedman last January, the league-wide question was, "What are they going to do with him?"
The answer turned out to be, "Nothing." As the Celtics staggered and snarled toward their stunning no-show sweep in Milwaukee, Wedman pined away on the end of the bench wondering why Boston had bothered to trade for him.
It was an unusual situation for Wedman, a nine-year veteran, former All- Star, and scorer of more than 10,000 NBA points. Sitting on the end of the bench, he began to wonder about his own abilities. Were the Celtics so deep that they didn't need him, or was he not good enough to contribute to this talent-laden team?
"(The doubt) was there for a while, but I did get over it," said Wedman. "I realized I was playing behind one of the best players in basketball (Larry Bird). After a while, I didn't leave much room for self-doubt."
"He didn't get a chance to play," says new Celtic coach K.C. Jones. "Any time a good player sits and only gets a minute or two, his game suffers."
It appears that the Celtics are planning on getting a lot more out of Wedman this year.
The 31-year-old forward has averaged 20 minutes of precious floor time in Boston's first five exhibition games. He's responded by hitting 50 percent from the floor (22 for 44) and 83 percent from the foul line (10 for 12). He had 18 points and received a warm ovation from the Garden fight fans during Sunday's slugfest against the Sixers.
"It's mainly just that I'm playing more," said Wedman. "I came to camp in good shape. I played a lot more this summer than I have in the past. I just want to play. The coaches can decide roles and minutes. I understand that my main contribution is scoring, but I think I can contribute in a lot of different ways."
Jones said, "I talked with Scott briefly on the road and asked him what he thought he could do and he said he thought he could come into games and give us instant offense. When you're a shooter like he is, you should think shoot first and pass second.
"I intend to use him more than we did last year. He gives us another weapon. When I see him go up for a shot, I get a good feeling. It's like you know the ball is going in."
The 6-foot-7 Wedman is a lifetime .483 shooter who has averaged 15.5 points a game since coming into the league with Kansas City in 1974. He is capable of playing in the backcourt, but helps most as a shooting forward. Since Bird is Boston's shooting forward and generally plays 40 to 45 minutes a night, Wedman is easily buried.
"Getting minutes is a problem and it's going to be a problem for Scott," said Jones. "But I'm sure there's a way I can work out something new."
Wedman sounds ready for the challenge. "You have to prove yourself every day with this team," he says. "There's so much talent here that you know if you don't perform well every day, there's someone standing behind you ready to step in."
Wedman Tries to Color his White Cavs Sneakers Green
1/17/83
Wedman Tries to Color his White Cavs Sneakers Green
It is hoped that Scott Wedman (who did not play Saturday) will have some green sneakers by tomorrow night. Attempts to paint his white ones with a green magic marker produced a hideous tie-dyed effect. He's wearing No. 20, formerly worn by Larry Siegfried (in attendance Saturday), Phil Hankinson, Fred Saunders and Wayne Kreklow, among others. Fitch sat with Wedman on the flight to Indianapolis yesterday . . . Charles Bradley's ankle is still hurting and he did not dress for the Cleveland game. Rick Robey's back is not right and he played only five minutes Saturday.
Wedman Tries to Color his White Cavs Sneakers Green
It is hoped that Scott Wedman (who did not play Saturday) will have some green sneakers by tomorrow night. Attempts to paint his white ones with a green magic marker produced a hideous tie-dyed effect. He's wearing No. 20, formerly worn by Larry Siegfried (in attendance Saturday), Phil Hankinson, Fred Saunders and Wayne Kreklow, among others. Fitch sat with Wedman on the flight to Indianapolis yesterday . . . Charles Bradley's ankle is still hurting and he did not dress for the Cleveland game. Rick Robey's back is not right and he played only five minutes Saturday.
Celtics Acquire Wedman
January 15, 1983
Celtics Acquire Wedman
Rumors of an impending trade swept the Garden last night after coach Bill Fitch confirmed that a deal that had been in the works for several days was near completion.
After the game, the Celtics announced that they had traded little-used rookie Darren Tillis and Boston's No. 1 draft pick in 1983 to the Cleveland Cavaliers for veteran forward Scott Wednam. The Celtics will also pay Cleveland an undisclosed amount of cash to make up for a good hunk of Wedman's salary.
Wedman, who is in the second year of a five-year contract worth an estimated $700,000 annually, is averaging 18.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. The 30-year-old shooting forward scored his 10,000th career point on Dec. 16 against Atlanta.
Cleveland sources said last night that the Cavaliers are about to be sold, and management was trying to trim its payroll in an effort to attract potential buyers.
Before the game, a source said the deal might be a swap of rookies, with Tillis going to Cleveland for former Boston College star John Bagley. The hangup, apparently, was that Cleveland was demanding more for Wedman, possibly veteran Nate Archibald or guard Gerry Henderson.
"If it was up to us," said Fitch, "the deal could have been completed several days ago. But you never know when you deal with somebody else."
The 6-foot-7 Wedman is a multiple-talent forward in the John Havlicek mold, who starred at Kansas City before becoming a free agent and signing with the Cavaliers.
Boston was minus two players last night when it went out to face the New Jersey Nets. Center Rick Robey is still bothered by a back problem. He dressed but was not expected to play. Guard Charles Bradley did not dress because of an ankle sprain. There was immediate speculation that he would also be included in any possible deal, but the Celtics usually don't trade injured players, and thus he was thought to be safe for the moment.
The 93d consecutive sellout Wednesday night against Golden State was a franchise record. The Celtics have the second best road record in the NBA and fourth at home. The Celtics will be on the road again tonight, facing Cleveland at 7:30.
Celtics Acquire Wedman
Rumors of an impending trade swept the Garden last night after coach Bill Fitch confirmed that a deal that had been in the works for several days was near completion.
After the game, the Celtics announced that they had traded little-used rookie Darren Tillis and Boston's No. 1 draft pick in 1983 to the Cleveland Cavaliers for veteran forward Scott Wednam. The Celtics will also pay Cleveland an undisclosed amount of cash to make up for a good hunk of Wedman's salary.
Wedman, who is in the second year of a five-year contract worth an estimated $700,000 annually, is averaging 18.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. The 30-year-old shooting forward scored his 10,000th career point on Dec. 16 against Atlanta.
Cleveland sources said last night that the Cavaliers are about to be sold, and management was trying to trim its payroll in an effort to attract potential buyers.
Before the game, a source said the deal might be a swap of rookies, with Tillis going to Cleveland for former Boston College star John Bagley. The hangup, apparently, was that Cleveland was demanding more for Wedman, possibly veteran Nate Archibald or guard Gerry Henderson.
"If it was up to us," said Fitch, "the deal could have been completed several days ago. But you never know when you deal with somebody else."
The 6-foot-7 Wedman is a multiple-talent forward in the John Havlicek mold, who starred at Kansas City before becoming a free agent and signing with the Cavaliers.
Boston was minus two players last night when it went out to face the New Jersey Nets. Center Rick Robey is still bothered by a back problem. He dressed but was not expected to play. Guard Charles Bradley did not dress because of an ankle sprain. There was immediate speculation that he would also be included in any possible deal, but the Celtics usually don't trade injured players, and thus he was thought to be safe for the moment.
The 93d consecutive sellout Wednesday night against Golden State was a franchise record. The Celtics have the second best road record in the NBA and fourth at home. The Celtics will be on the road again tonight, facing Cleveland at 7:30.
WEBB SAYS HE'S MATURED
April 17, 1994
EX-CELTIC SAYS HE'S MATURED
When he arrived in Boston last year as a new Celtics player, Marcus Webb quickly became a fixture in clubs and bars from Daisy Buchanan's in the Back Bay to the Harbor Club on the waterfront.
Webb often traveled with a small entourage of fellow pro athletes and girlfriends. Young, attractive and rich, Webb and his friends cut a swath through some of the city's most fashionable nightspots.
But for Webb, the good times came to a grinding halt.
The Celtics forward first gained notoriety when he told the team he missed a doctor's appointment and a practice because police wrongly stopped him while driving on Route 9. Police said that no such incident occurred.
Then, within a 10-day period in March, Webb was arrested twice, first for allegedly slapping an ex-girlfriend and then for allegedly raping his girlfriend at the time. Another ex-girlfriend sued for child support.
The Celtics soon after fined him for lying about the status of his driver's license. Finally, the team cut him. Webb wound up in a jail cell because he could not raise $25,000 bail.
"I'm a very changed person today because of all those things that happened in Boston," Webb said last week in a telephone interview from Pau, France, where he plays for the local team in the French professional basketball league.
Webb said he did a lot of growing up in Boston. But he says he didn't do all the things he was accused of doing.
"I don't want to think about it all. It's over. It's just something that happened," he said.
Webb eventually agreed to plead guilty to sexually assaulting his former girlfriend and was sentenced to 30 days in prison.
After his release from Concord state prison, Webb was given a tryout by the Los Angeles Clippers. But the Clippers were too nervous about possible public relations problems to give Webb a fair chance, according to his agent. Webb packed his bags for Europe.
Looking back, Webb said the best thing that happened to him in Boston was meeting his fiancee, Kathryn West of Cambridge. An August wedding is planned in Montgomery, Ala., Webb's hometown.
In the meantime, Webb, 23, is averaging 19 points and 9 rebounds a game. He's one of the premier players in the league. But he wants to return to the NBA. If he does, he said he'll do things differently this time around.
"I've got family responsibilities now," he said. "I'm more mature."
EX-CELTIC SAYS HE'S MATURED
When he arrived in Boston last year as a new Celtics player, Marcus Webb quickly became a fixture in clubs and bars from Daisy Buchanan's in the Back Bay to the Harbor Club on the waterfront.
Webb often traveled with a small entourage of fellow pro athletes and girlfriends. Young, attractive and rich, Webb and his friends cut a swath through some of the city's most fashionable nightspots.
But for Webb, the good times came to a grinding halt.
The Celtics forward first gained notoriety when he told the team he missed a doctor's appointment and a practice because police wrongly stopped him while driving on Route 9. Police said that no such incident occurred.
Then, within a 10-day period in March, Webb was arrested twice, first for allegedly slapping an ex-girlfriend and then for allegedly raping his girlfriend at the time. Another ex-girlfriend sued for child support.
The Celtics soon after fined him for lying about the status of his driver's license. Finally, the team cut him. Webb wound up in a jail cell because he could not raise $25,000 bail.
"I'm a very changed person today because of all those things that happened in Boston," Webb said last week in a telephone interview from Pau, France, where he plays for the local team in the French professional basketball league.
Webb said he did a lot of growing up in Boston. But he says he didn't do all the things he was accused of doing.
"I don't want to think about it all. It's over. It's just something that happened," he said.
Webb eventually agreed to plead guilty to sexually assaulting his former girlfriend and was sentenced to 30 days in prison.
After his release from Concord state prison, Webb was given a tryout by the Los Angeles Clippers. But the Clippers were too nervous about possible public relations problems to give Webb a fair chance, according to his agent. Webb packed his bags for Europe.
Looking back, Webb said the best thing that happened to him in Boston was meeting his fiancee, Kathryn West of Cambridge. An August wedding is planned in Montgomery, Ala., Webb's hometown.
In the meantime, Webb, 23, is averaging 19 points and 9 rebounds a game. He's one of the premier players in the league. But he wants to return to the NBA. If he does, he said he'll do things differently this time around.
"I've got family responsibilities now," he said. "I'm more mature."
EX-CELTIC FREED AFTER 28 DAYS
August 18, 1993
EX-CELTIC FREED AFTER 28 DAYS
Former Boston Celtic Marcus Webb was released from prison on Monday after serving 28 days of a 30-day sentence for sexually assaulting a former girlfriend. Webb, who was charged with rape, pleaded guilty in Middlesex Superior Court to a reduced charge of indecent assault and battery stemming from the March 4 incident at his Waltham apartment. Although Webb was sentenced to 3 to 5 years, he was ordered to serve only 30 days at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord.
EX-CELTIC FREED AFTER 28 DAYS
Former Boston Celtic Marcus Webb was released from prison on Monday after serving 28 days of a 30-day sentence for sexually assaulting a former girlfriend. Webb, who was charged with rape, pleaded guilty in Middlesex Superior Court to a reduced charge of indecent assault and battery stemming from the March 4 incident at his Waltham apartment. Although Webb was sentenced to 3 to 5 years, he was ordered to serve only 30 days at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord.
WEBB PLEADS GUILTY TO ASSAULT
July 21, 1993
WEBB PLEADS GUILTY TO ASSAULT
Former Boston Celtics forward Marcus Webb pleaded guilty yesterday to sexually assaulting his former girlfriend and was sentenced to 30 days in prison.
Webb's plea in Middlesex Superior Court to a reduced charge of indecent assault and battery -- he had been charged with rape -- was made as his trial was scheduled to begin before Judge Robert A. Barton.
Webb, 23, admitted to attempting the anal rape of the victim, a 22-year-old college senior, March 4 after a day and night of consensual sex in his Windsor Village apartment in Waltham.
WEBB PLEADS GUILTY TO ASSAULT
Former Boston Celtics forward Marcus Webb pleaded guilty yesterday to sexually assaulting his former girlfriend and was sentenced to 30 days in prison.
Webb's plea in Middlesex Superior Court to a reduced charge of indecent assault and battery -- he had been charged with rape -- was made as his trial was scheduled to begin before Judge Robert A. Barton.
Webb, 23, admitted to attempting the anal rape of the victim, a 22-year-old college senior, March 4 after a day and night of consensual sex in his Windsor Village apartment in Waltham.
WEBB RAPE COUNT IS OUT
June 11, 1993
WEBB RAPE COUNT IS OUT PROSECUTORS DROP 1 OF 2 CHARGES
One of two rape charges against former Boston Celtic Marcus L. Webb was dropped by prosecutors yesterday after his defense lawyer said that the victim had told a doctor she consented to have oral sex with Webb.
Attorney Howard Cooper, who represents Webb, said a Middlesex grand jury might not have indicted Webb on a charge that he orally raped his former girlfriend on March 4 if a prosecutor had shown grand jurors a report that the woman told a doctor she had consented to have oral sex with Webb.
Cooper said the woman told a physician that she consented to various sexual acts during a night of lovemaking in Webb's Waltham apartment, but that Webb forced her to have anal intercourse despite her objection.
Insisting that grand jurors were aware of the victim's full account of the alleged rape, Middlesex County First Assistant District Attorney Martin F. Murphy said, "We did not violate any of the rules concerning the presentation of evidence to the grand jury.
"We expect to prove at trial that the victim was anally raped, then forced to engage in oral intercourse against her will."
When asked why prosecutors dropped the oral rape charge, Murphy said, "We made a tactical decision to go ahead on the most important charge and not let the motion filed by the defense create a sideshow that would divert attention away from the most important issue in the case and possibly delay the July 20 trial date."
Assistant District Attorney David Meier, who is prosecuting the case, filed a notice with Superior Court Judge Robert A. Barton yesterday saying that "in the interests of judicial economy and in order to ensure a prompt and expeditious trial . . . the commonwealth will not prosecute" a second charge any farther.
Cooper said he has urged Barton to dismiss the remaining charge. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
WEBB RAPE COUNT IS OUT PROSECUTORS DROP 1 OF 2 CHARGES
One of two rape charges against former Boston Celtic Marcus L. Webb was dropped by prosecutors yesterday after his defense lawyer said that the victim had told a doctor she consented to have oral sex with Webb.
Attorney Howard Cooper, who represents Webb, said a Middlesex grand jury might not have indicted Webb on a charge that he orally raped his former girlfriend on March 4 if a prosecutor had shown grand jurors a report that the woman told a doctor she had consented to have oral sex with Webb.
Cooper said the woman told a physician that she consented to various sexual acts during a night of lovemaking in Webb's Waltham apartment, but that Webb forced her to have anal intercourse despite her objection.
Insisting that grand jurors were aware of the victim's full account of the alleged rape, Middlesex County First Assistant District Attorney Martin F. Murphy said, "We did not violate any of the rules concerning the presentation of evidence to the grand jury.
"We expect to prove at trial that the victim was anally raped, then forced to engage in oral intercourse against her will."
When asked why prosecutors dropped the oral rape charge, Murphy said, "We made a tactical decision to go ahead on the most important charge and not let the motion filed by the defense create a sideshow that would divert attention away from the most important issue in the case and possibly delay the July 20 trial date."
Assistant District Attorney David Meier, who is prosecuting the case, filed a notice with Superior Court Judge Robert A. Barton yesterday saying that "in the interests of judicial economy and in order to ensure a prompt and expeditious trial . . . the commonwealth will not prosecute" a second charge any farther.
Cooper said he has urged Barton to dismiss the remaining charge. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
RESTRAINING ORDER VS. WEBB LIFTED
April 16, 1993
RESTRAINING ORDER VS. WEBB LIFTED
A restraining order against former Celtic Marcus Webb was vacated yesterday when the Dorchester woman he is accused of raping did not appear at a status hearing in the case. Webb, 22, of Waltham, appeared with witnesses in Dorchester District Court to contest the order, but it was vacated because of the woman's absence. Authorities said the woman had notified the court that she did not intend to appear. Webb awaits trial in Middlesex Superior Court on two charges that he raped the woman on March 4 in her apartment. He has pleaded not guilty and remains free on $25,000 bail.
RESTRAINING ORDER VS. WEBB LIFTED
A restraining order against former Celtic Marcus Webb was vacated yesterday when the Dorchester woman he is accused of raping did not appear at a status hearing in the case. Webb, 22, of Waltham, appeared with witnesses in Dorchester District Court to contest the order, but it was vacated because of the woman's absence. Authorities said the woman had notified the court that she did not intend to appear. Webb awaits trial in Middlesex Superior Court on two charges that he raped the woman on March 4 in her apartment. He has pleaded not guilty and remains free on $25,000 bail.
WEBB'S PAST OFFERS GLIMPSE OF MAN
March 28, 1993
WEBB'S PAST OFFERS GLIMPSE OF MAN PART BRAT, TEDDY BEAR WAIVED CELTIC TALKS OF PAST, FUTURE
Marcus Webb doesn't mean to brag, but he knows he played ball better than anyone back home. He dressed better, too. And he's sure he can outcook the Boston chef who's just sent over some smothered cabbage and sweet potatoes.
"My self-esteem is high about everything," Webb said in his first interview since he was charged with rape and waived by the Celtics 10 days ago. "I know I'm a beautiful individual. Without anyone telling me, I know that. I have confidence."
Webb's confidence extends to beating the rape charge, fending off at least one paternity suit and playing again in the NBA. The 22-year-old Alabamian swears -- always pardoning his language first -- that he'll do it all. With a smirk that runs from his broad shoulders to his small eyes, Webb insists he loves women and basketball, and would hurt neither.
He says this in a voice as Deep South as his dinner manners. He asks the waitress her name, and never skips a please or thank you. Halfway through a 2 1/2-hour supper at Bob the Chef's, a South End restaurant specializing in southern cooking, Webb excuses himself to call his "mama," Mary, who just flew up from Montgomery, Ala. At 6 feet 9 inches tall, he doesn't stand up so much as unfold from the table.
"To the average woman who's been reading about me, I'm going to be, excuse my language, an (expletive)," he said, sounding equally angry and ashamed over his sudden notoriety. "They're thinkin' I'm a geek, a clown from a bad area. That's not me."
The Marcus Lataives Webb that comes across in person more or less matches the Webb they remember back home. In interviews with 30 Alabamians who knew Webb as a boy in Montgomery and a young man in Tuscaloosa, a picture emerges: part teddy bear, part spoiled brat. As with so many young athletes, those were the characteristics that Webb brought with him to Boston when he was plucked from a poor background and pumped full of money.
"He's so full of life everyone likes him, loves him," said his grandfather, Herbert Webb, an associate pastor at a Baptist church in Montgomery. "When he was 12 or 13, he told me, 'Daddy, I'm going to put away all these childish things because I have a goal and that's to play basketball.' "
That goal led him to the game's most storied team, but also to an unfamiliar life in Boston. The Celtics gambled $140,000 a year that the rookie forward could get by on the court; but few who knew him back home thought he would get by easily away from the game.
"Marcus was someone who wanted you to know he was there if a party was going on," said Gary Waites, who played alongside Webb at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. "Now he's got a lot of pressure on him, and too much freedom. He never did understand how to manage his time and his money."
Like Waites, Webb's teachers and coaches in Alabama describe him as a sweet showboat who has trouble with responsibility. He needs guidance, they say, lots of it. At Sidney Lanier High, when he was winning at basketball but slacking off in algebra and biology, coach John Bricken made Webb join the ROTC, hoping it would teach him to act like a champion.
"He had tremendous magnetism," said retired Col. Charles Scott, who runs the ROTC at Lanier. "But it was tough for him to see the serious side of things."
Webb grew up poor on the black side of Montgomery, and sensed the privilege that accompanies athletic prowess. Although he had a steady girlfriend throughout high school, he got used to being scouted by girls as well as coaches. With college costs covered by scholarships, Webb never had a paying job until the Celtics.
"Sports discovered me in 7th grade," he said. "They didn't ask me to play football; they told me. In football, I was Mr. Everything. Basketball, Mr. Everything. Track, Mr. Everything."
When he wasn't astounding classmates, Webb says he was home cooking. In high school, he mastered both baking and sewing.
During college, Webb was famous for his barbecues featuring chicken, ribs and homemade potato salad. One year, he surprised his former roommate with birthday cupcakes. Last Christmas, he prepared a full dinner for his Celtics teammates -- turkey, collard greens and his family's secret red velvet cake.
Webb says the women at home taught him self-reliance. He lived with his grandmother, mother and half-brother Derrick, now 14, in a simple one-story house on Azalea Drive.
"I'm one independent man," Webb said. "I wash my own clothes. I make my own lunch and I make my own bed."
Webb's family still lives in the house where he grew up, with the windows open but the shades drawn against the sun. Like his grandfather's house on nearby Rosa L. Parks Avenue, the house is filled with bric-a-brac in gold and glass. The better furniture is covered in plastic, as are the newspaper clippings and photos of Webbs' triumphs.
Missing from his childhood was the father he didn't meet until he was a high schooler, and then only by chance. George Pugh, a college football star and former head coach at Alabama A&M University, came around scouting and introduced himself as Marcus' father. His son ran right home with the confusing news.
"He said, 'I met some man who said he was my daddy,' " said Ethelene Webb, the grandmother who helped raise Webb while his mother worked three, sometimes four jobs. "I said, 'Go ask your mama about it.' "
Said Webb: "I held a grudge against him, like I'm supposed to. My son should have a grudge if I'm not there from day one."
But Webb and the women in his family stress that he had plenty of male role models around, including his grandfather Herbert Webb and now-deceased uncle Sam Webb, both big, tall men who didn't take any grief. But young Marcus could talk to them.
Still, Webb never talked much about his troubles. Not when his fiancee, Quientina Brown, broke off their engagement shortly after giving birth to their son. Not when he got kicked off the team in college.
"Here was a young man who came out of nowhere, sits out a year and makes it," Pugh said. "He makes the Boston Celtics. I always told Marcus to be humble."
And there were some humbling moments along the way. Webb's coaches say that as his competition stiffened from one arena to the next, he was less able to cope with the challenge.
"Each step, as he came in contact with people with more ability, he had more problems," said Charles Sikes, Webb's football coach at Lanier until Webb broke his ankle in 10th grade and quit the team. "He can't compete with competition."
Even at Lanier, where he was all-state, Bricken says Webb didn't work for grades until a college scholarship was at stake, and then he made good ones. At Tuscaloosa, where no one remembers him as a standout for the Crimson Tide, Webb cut so many classes that his coach Winfrey Sanderson made him sit out his senior year. So he quit school, right after he became a father.
"I can't agree with everything he did when it came to school, but he was no outlaw," said Kenneth Rice, the Alabama teammate who roomed with Webb throughout college.
Compared with Montgomery, where Webb was a fast-growing boy in a slow-moving town, Tuscaloosa was the big time. But Webb was no big man on the campus of 19,000 students.
Still, no one recalls more than the usual kid trouble. At home in Montgomery, Webb flunked Smilie Tade's English class, flipped the bird to the crowd during a game and set his grandmother's kitchen curtains on fire, a mishap that earned young Marcus six whippings.
A hundred miles away in Tuscaloosa, where he majored in psychology, he found more trouble on the big, antebellum campus. Webb was arrested twice, for bouncing a check and not paying parking tickets. He amassed enough speeding tickets to have his license suspended, then revoked when he was caught speeding again. He also couldn't keep it together academically, despite the tutors and carping from coaches during three seasons from 1988-91.
But little in his Alabama days foreshadowed the magnitude of trouble he's in now.
"All of this is so out of character," said his grandmother. To this day, he calls her mama, too, and she defends his integrity despite a litany of legal and professional woes.
On March 18, the Celtics dropped Webb a few hours before he was arrested and charged with raping a former girlfriend. Three days earlier, the mother of his 13-month-old son, who lives in Alabama, had him arrested for allegedly hitting her during a weekend trip to Boston.
Another ex-girlfriend, LaTangelia Sanderson, is suing for child support, claiming that they agreed to have a baby. Yet another woman, whom Webb admits he "used to mess with," has been going around Montgomery saying the child she is carrying is also his.
"We may have the first class-action paternity suit in the country," said Jay Lewis, the Montgomery lawyer representing LaTangelia Sanderson.
Said a disillusioned Sanderson, 20, who has known Webb for a year: "He was like a knight in shining armor: kind, gentle, he listened. I chose to have a child by him, so obviously I must have felt very secure. I don't know what happened."
Webb denies hurting any woman or fathering any child but his 13-month-old boy, TreDarrius Le Marcus Brown, whom he dotes on and wishes had his last name.
"I was raised by two women and taught I shouldn't hurt women," Webb said. "If anyone touched my mother, I know how I'd react. So why should I treat someone's daughter wrong?"
Through it all, Webb says his confidence has never waned.
The Boston Garden was Webb's biggest arena yet, but as a marginal player he got little notice. What he did get was notoriety.
Before being waived, Webb had been on the injured list since December, when the team says he broke his thumb while cracking his knuckles. In January, he claimed that he missed a doctor's appointment and a team practice because the police stopped him on Route 9. He is sticking by the story, even though there is no record of the episode and the Celtics fined him $250. He still has no driver's license. Lying about that to the Celtics earlier this month got him dropped from a road trip.
Down in Alabama, all these stories have made the rounds. At Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, coaches roll their eyes sadly. They say they are shocked at the allegations, but not surprised that the kid from Montgomery didn't last with the Celtics.
"Marcus didn't set out to get in trouble, but it would just happen, like with not going to classes," said Henry Lyda, an associate athletic trainer with the Crimson Tide.
Back in Montgomery, where Webb hopes one day to raise hogs and chickens, the disappointment is even greater. At Lanier High, where his photo hangs outside the gym with those of other alumni, including quarterback Bart Starr, a Green Bay Packers football Hall of Famer, Webb is a hero.
"He was a swell guy," said Terrell Wright, whose cousin was Webb's steady girlfriend. "Sports-wise, everyone looked up to him."
Then the boys hear that Webb has been charged with rape, that he's been cut from the Celtics. Mouths agape, they come off the court and crowd around. For a good while, the game stops, the heads shake and the ball is quiet.
WEBB'S PAST OFFERS GLIMPSE OF MAN PART BRAT, TEDDY BEAR WAIVED CELTIC TALKS OF PAST, FUTURE
Marcus Webb doesn't mean to brag, but he knows he played ball better than anyone back home. He dressed better, too. And he's sure he can outcook the Boston chef who's just sent over some smothered cabbage and sweet potatoes.
"My self-esteem is high about everything," Webb said in his first interview since he was charged with rape and waived by the Celtics 10 days ago. "I know I'm a beautiful individual. Without anyone telling me, I know that. I have confidence."
Webb's confidence extends to beating the rape charge, fending off at least one paternity suit and playing again in the NBA. The 22-year-old Alabamian swears -- always pardoning his language first -- that he'll do it all. With a smirk that runs from his broad shoulders to his small eyes, Webb insists he loves women and basketball, and would hurt neither.
He says this in a voice as Deep South as his dinner manners. He asks the waitress her name, and never skips a please or thank you. Halfway through a 2 1/2-hour supper at Bob the Chef's, a South End restaurant specializing in southern cooking, Webb excuses himself to call his "mama," Mary, who just flew up from Montgomery, Ala. At 6 feet 9 inches tall, he doesn't stand up so much as unfold from the table.
"To the average woman who's been reading about me, I'm going to be, excuse my language, an (expletive)," he said, sounding equally angry and ashamed over his sudden notoriety. "They're thinkin' I'm a geek, a clown from a bad area. That's not me."
The Marcus Lataives Webb that comes across in person more or less matches the Webb they remember back home. In interviews with 30 Alabamians who knew Webb as a boy in Montgomery and a young man in Tuscaloosa, a picture emerges: part teddy bear, part spoiled brat. As with so many young athletes, those were the characteristics that Webb brought with him to Boston when he was plucked from a poor background and pumped full of money.
"He's so full of life everyone likes him, loves him," said his grandfather, Herbert Webb, an associate pastor at a Baptist church in Montgomery. "When he was 12 or 13, he told me, 'Daddy, I'm going to put away all these childish things because I have a goal and that's to play basketball.' "
That goal led him to the game's most storied team, but also to an unfamiliar life in Boston. The Celtics gambled $140,000 a year that the rookie forward could get by on the court; but few who knew him back home thought he would get by easily away from the game.
"Marcus was someone who wanted you to know he was there if a party was going on," said Gary Waites, who played alongside Webb at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. "Now he's got a lot of pressure on him, and too much freedom. He never did understand how to manage his time and his money."
Like Waites, Webb's teachers and coaches in Alabama describe him as a sweet showboat who has trouble with responsibility. He needs guidance, they say, lots of it. At Sidney Lanier High, when he was winning at basketball but slacking off in algebra and biology, coach John Bricken made Webb join the ROTC, hoping it would teach him to act like a champion.
"He had tremendous magnetism," said retired Col. Charles Scott, who runs the ROTC at Lanier. "But it was tough for him to see the serious side of things."
Webb grew up poor on the black side of Montgomery, and sensed the privilege that accompanies athletic prowess. Although he had a steady girlfriend throughout high school, he got used to being scouted by girls as well as coaches. With college costs covered by scholarships, Webb never had a paying job until the Celtics.
"Sports discovered me in 7th grade," he said. "They didn't ask me to play football; they told me. In football, I was Mr. Everything. Basketball, Mr. Everything. Track, Mr. Everything."
When he wasn't astounding classmates, Webb says he was home cooking. In high school, he mastered both baking and sewing.
During college, Webb was famous for his barbecues featuring chicken, ribs and homemade potato salad. One year, he surprised his former roommate with birthday cupcakes. Last Christmas, he prepared a full dinner for his Celtics teammates -- turkey, collard greens and his family's secret red velvet cake.
Webb says the women at home taught him self-reliance. He lived with his grandmother, mother and half-brother Derrick, now 14, in a simple one-story house on Azalea Drive.
"I'm one independent man," Webb said. "I wash my own clothes. I make my own lunch and I make my own bed."
Webb's family still lives in the house where he grew up, with the windows open but the shades drawn against the sun. Like his grandfather's house on nearby Rosa L. Parks Avenue, the house is filled with bric-a-brac in gold and glass. The better furniture is covered in plastic, as are the newspaper clippings and photos of Webbs' triumphs.
Missing from his childhood was the father he didn't meet until he was a high schooler, and then only by chance. George Pugh, a college football star and former head coach at Alabama A&M University, came around scouting and introduced himself as Marcus' father. His son ran right home with the confusing news.
"He said, 'I met some man who said he was my daddy,' " said Ethelene Webb, the grandmother who helped raise Webb while his mother worked three, sometimes four jobs. "I said, 'Go ask your mama about it.' "
Said Webb: "I held a grudge against him, like I'm supposed to. My son should have a grudge if I'm not there from day one."
But Webb and the women in his family stress that he had plenty of male role models around, including his grandfather Herbert Webb and now-deceased uncle Sam Webb, both big, tall men who didn't take any grief. But young Marcus could talk to them.
Still, Webb never talked much about his troubles. Not when his fiancee, Quientina Brown, broke off their engagement shortly after giving birth to their son. Not when he got kicked off the team in college.
"Here was a young man who came out of nowhere, sits out a year and makes it," Pugh said. "He makes the Boston Celtics. I always told Marcus to be humble."
And there were some humbling moments along the way. Webb's coaches say that as his competition stiffened from one arena to the next, he was less able to cope with the challenge.
"Each step, as he came in contact with people with more ability, he had more problems," said Charles Sikes, Webb's football coach at Lanier until Webb broke his ankle in 10th grade and quit the team. "He can't compete with competition."
Even at Lanier, where he was all-state, Bricken says Webb didn't work for grades until a college scholarship was at stake, and then he made good ones. At Tuscaloosa, where no one remembers him as a standout for the Crimson Tide, Webb cut so many classes that his coach Winfrey Sanderson made him sit out his senior year. So he quit school, right after he became a father.
"I can't agree with everything he did when it came to school, but he was no outlaw," said Kenneth Rice, the Alabama teammate who roomed with Webb throughout college.
Compared with Montgomery, where Webb was a fast-growing boy in a slow-moving town, Tuscaloosa was the big time. But Webb was no big man on the campus of 19,000 students.
Still, no one recalls more than the usual kid trouble. At home in Montgomery, Webb flunked Smilie Tade's English class, flipped the bird to the crowd during a game and set his grandmother's kitchen curtains on fire, a mishap that earned young Marcus six whippings.
A hundred miles away in Tuscaloosa, where he majored in psychology, he found more trouble on the big, antebellum campus. Webb was arrested twice, for bouncing a check and not paying parking tickets. He amassed enough speeding tickets to have his license suspended, then revoked when he was caught speeding again. He also couldn't keep it together academically, despite the tutors and carping from coaches during three seasons from 1988-91.
But little in his Alabama days foreshadowed the magnitude of trouble he's in now.
"All of this is so out of character," said his grandmother. To this day, he calls her mama, too, and she defends his integrity despite a litany of legal and professional woes.
On March 18, the Celtics dropped Webb a few hours before he was arrested and charged with raping a former girlfriend. Three days earlier, the mother of his 13-month-old son, who lives in Alabama, had him arrested for allegedly hitting her during a weekend trip to Boston.
Another ex-girlfriend, LaTangelia Sanderson, is suing for child support, claiming that they agreed to have a baby. Yet another woman, whom Webb admits he "used to mess with," has been going around Montgomery saying the child she is carrying is also his.
"We may have the first class-action paternity suit in the country," said Jay Lewis, the Montgomery lawyer representing LaTangelia Sanderson.
Said a disillusioned Sanderson, 20, who has known Webb for a year: "He was like a knight in shining armor: kind, gentle, he listened. I chose to have a child by him, so obviously I must have felt very secure. I don't know what happened."
Webb denies hurting any woman or fathering any child but his 13-month-old boy, TreDarrius Le Marcus Brown, whom he dotes on and wishes had his last name.
"I was raised by two women and taught I shouldn't hurt women," Webb said. "If anyone touched my mother, I know how I'd react. So why should I treat someone's daughter wrong?"
Through it all, Webb says his confidence has never waned.
The Boston Garden was Webb's biggest arena yet, but as a marginal player he got little notice. What he did get was notoriety.
Before being waived, Webb had been on the injured list since December, when the team says he broke his thumb while cracking his knuckles. In January, he claimed that he missed a doctor's appointment and a team practice because the police stopped him on Route 9. He is sticking by the story, even though there is no record of the episode and the Celtics fined him $250. He still has no driver's license. Lying about that to the Celtics earlier this month got him dropped from a road trip.
Down in Alabama, all these stories have made the rounds. At Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, coaches roll their eyes sadly. They say they are shocked at the allegations, but not surprised that the kid from Montgomery didn't last with the Celtics.
"Marcus didn't set out to get in trouble, but it would just happen, like with not going to classes," said Henry Lyda, an associate athletic trainer with the Crimson Tide.
Back in Montgomery, where Webb hopes one day to raise hogs and chickens, the disappointment is even greater. At Lanier High, where his photo hangs outside the gym with those of other alumni, including quarterback Bart Starr, a Green Bay Packers football Hall of Famer, Webb is a hero.
"He was a swell guy," said Terrell Wright, whose cousin was Webb's steady girlfriend. "Sports-wise, everyone looked up to him."
Then the boys hear that Webb has been charged with rape, that he's been cut from the Celtics. Mouths agape, they come off the court and crowd around. For a good while, the game stops, the heads shake and the ball is quiet.
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